ERIC BRIGHTEYES
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
CETYWAYO AND HIS WHITE NEIGHBOURS
DAWN
THE WITCH'S HEAD
KING SOLOMON'S MINES
SHE
JESS
ALLAN QUATERMAIN
MAIWA'S REVENGE
MR. MEESON'S WILL
COLONEL QUARITCH, V.C.
CLEOPATRA
ALLAN'S WIFE
BEATRICE
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
(IN COLLABORATION WITH ANDREW LANG)
THE WORLD'S DESIRE
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
BY
H. KIDEE HAGGAKD
AUTHOR OF
KING SOLOMON'S MINES' 'SHE' 'ALLAN QUATERMAIN*
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS
BY LANCELOT SPEED
SECOND EDITION
LONDON
LONGMANS, GEEEN, AND CO.
1891
All riijhts, reserved
PRINTED BY
SPOTTIRWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE
LONDON
2)e6fcatfon
MADAM,
You have graciously conveyed to me the in-
telligence that during the weary weeks spent far from
his home — in alternate hope and fear, in suffering and
mortal trial — a Prince whose memory all men must
reverence, the Emperor Frederick, found pleasure in
the reading of my stories : that ' they interested and
fascinated him.'
While the ivorld was watching daily at the bedside
of your Majesty's Imperial husband, while many were
endeavouring to learn courage in our supremest need
from the spectacle ~of that heroic patience, a distant
writer little knew that it had been his fortune to bring
to such a sufferer an hour's forgetfulness of sorroiu and
pain.
This knowledge, to an author, is far dearer than any
praise, and it is in gratitude that, with your Majesty's
permission, I venture to dedicate to you the tale of Eric
tijhtcyes.
The late Emperor, at heart a lover of peace, tliough
luty a soldier of soldiers, might perhaps have cared
vi DEDICATION
to interest himself in a warrior of long ago, a hero of
our Northern stock, whose days were spent in strife,
and whose latest desire ivas Best. But it may not be ;
like the Golden Eric of this Saga, and after a nobler
fashion, he has passed through the Hundred Gates into
the Valhalla of Eenown.
To you then, Madam, I dedicate this bock, a token,
however slight and unworthy, of profound respect and
sympathy.
I am, Madam,
Your Majesty's most obedient servant,
II . EIDER HAGGARD.
November 27, 1889.
To H.I.M. VICTORIA, Empress Frederick of Germany.
INTBODUCTION
* EKIC BBIGHTEYES ' is a romance founded on the Icelandic
Sagas. ' What is a saga ? ' ' Is it a fable or a true story ? ' The
answer is not altogether simple. For such sagas as those of
Burnt Njal and Grettir the Strong partake both of truth and
fiction : historians dispute as to the proportions. This
was the manner of the saga's growth: In the early days of
the Iceland community — that republic of aristocrats — say, be-
tween the dates 900 and 1100 of our era, a quarrel would arise
between two great families. As in the case of the Njal Saga, its
cause, probably, was the ill doings of some noble woman. This
quarrel would lead to manslaughter. Then blood called for
blood, and a vendetta was set on foot that ended only with
the death by violence of a majority of the actors in the drama
and of large numbers of their adherents. In the course of
the feud, men of heroic strength and mould would come to the
front and perform deeds worthy of the iron age which bore
them. Women also would help to fashion the tale, for good or
ill, according to their natural gifts and characters. At last the
tragedy was covered up by death and time, leaving only a few
dinted shields and haunted cairns to tell of those who had
played its leading parts.
But its fame lived on in the minds of men. From genera-
tion to generation skalds wandered through the winter snows,
much as Homer may have wandered in his day across the
Grecian vales and mountains, to find a welcome at every stead,
yiii ERIC BRIG HTE YES
because of the old-time story they had to tell. Here, night
after night, they would sit in the ingle and while away the
weariness of the dayless dark with histories of the times
when men carried their lives in their hands, and thought
them well lost if there might be a song in the ears of
folk to come. To alter the tale was one of the greatest of
crimes : the skald must repeat it as it came to him ; but by
degrees undoubtedly the sagas did suffer alteration. The facts
remained the same indeed, but around them gathered a mist of
miraculous occurrences and legends. To take a single instance :
the account of the burning of Bergthorsknoll in the Njal Saga
is not only a piece of descriptive writing that for vivid, simple
force and insight is scarcely to be matched out of Homer and
the Bible, it is also obviously true. We feel as we read, that
no man could have invented that story, though some great
skald threw it into shape. That the tale is true, the writer of
1 Eric ' can testify, for, saga in hand, he has followed every act
of the drama on its very site. There he who digs beneath the
surface of the lonely mound that looks across plain and sea to
Westman Isles may still find traces of the burning, and see
what appears to be the black sand with which the hands of
Bergthora and her women strewed the earthen floor some nine
hundred years ago, and even the greasy and clotted remains
of the whey that they threw upon the flame to quench it.
He may discover the places where Flosi drew up his men,
where Skarphedinn died, singing while his legs were burnt
from off him, where Kari leapt from the flaming ruin, and
the dell in which he laid down to rest — at every step, in
short, the truth of the narrative becomes more obvious. And
yet the tale has been added to, for, unless we may believe that
some human beings are gifted with second sight, we cannot
accept as true the prophetic vision that came to Kunolf,
Thorstein's son ; or that of Njal who, on the evening of the
onslaught, like Theoclymenus in the Odyssey, saw the whole
board and the meats upon it ' one gore of blood.'
Thus, in the Norse romance now offered to the reader, the
tale of Eric and his deeds would be true ; but the dream of
Asmund, the witchcraft of Swanhild, the incident of the
INTRODUCTION ix
speaking head, and the visions of Eric and Skallagrim, would
owe their origin to the imagination of successive generations of
skalds ; and, finally, in the fifteenth or sixteenth century, the
story would have been written down with all its supernatural
additions.
The tendency of the human mind — and more especially of
the Norse mind — is to supply uncommon and extraordinary
reasons for actions and facts that are to be amply accounted for
by the working of natural forces. Swanhild would have needed
no ' familiar ' to instruct her in her evil schemes ; Eric would
have wanted no love-draught to bring about his overthrow.
Our common experience of mankind as it is, in opposition to
mankind as we fable it to be, is sufficient to teach us that the
passion of the one and the human weakness of the other would
suffice to these ends. The natural magic, the beauty and
inherent power of such a woman as Swanhild, are things more
forceful than any spell magicians have invented, or any
demon they are supposed to have summoned to their aid. But
no saga would be complete without the intervention of such
extraneous forces : the need of them was always felt, in
order to throw up the acts of heroes and heroines, and to invest
their persons with an added importance. Even Homer felt
this need, and did not scruple to introduce not only second
sight, but gods and goddesses, and to bring their supernatural
agency to bear directly on the personages of his chant, and
that far more freely than any Norse sagaman. A word may
be added in explanation of the appearances of ' familiars ' in
the shapes of animals, an instance of which will be found in
this story. It was believed in Iceland, as now by the Finns and
Eskimo, that the passions and desires of sorcerers took visible
form in such creatures as wolves or rats. These were called
' sendings,' and there are many allusions to them in the Sagas.
Another peculiarity that may be briefly alluded to as em-
inently characteristic of the Sagas is their fatefulness. As we
read we seem to hear the voice of Doom speaking continually.
1 Things will happen as they are fated : ' that is the keynote
of them all. The Norse mind had little belief in free will, less
even than we have to-day. Men and women were born with
x ERIC BRIGHTEYES
certain characters and tendencies, given to them in order that
their lives should run in appointed channels, and their acts
bring about an appointed end. They do not these things o*
their own desire, though their desires prompt them to the deeds
they do them because they must. The Norns, as they nam
Fate, have mapped out their path long and long ago ; their fee
are set therein, and they must tread it to the end. Such wa
the conclusion of our Scandinavian ancestors — a belief forceo
upon them by their intense realisation of the futility of human
hopes and schemings, of the terror and the tragedy of life, the
vanity of its desires, and the untra veiled gloom or sleep,
dreamless or dreamful, which lies beyond its end.
Though the Sagas are entrancing, both as examples o,
literature of which there is but little in the world and because
of their living interest, they are scarcely known to the English-
speaking public. This is easy to account for : it is hard to
persuade the nineteenth century world to interest itself in
people who lived and events that happened a thousand years
ago. Moreover, the Sagas are undoubtedly difficult reading.
The archaic nature of the work, even in a translation ; the
multitude of its actors ; the Norse sagaman's habit of inter-
weaving endless side-plots, and the persistence with' which he
introduces the genealogy and adventures of the ancestors of
every unimportant character, are none of them to the taste
of the modern reader.
' Eric Brighteyes ' therefore, is clipped of these peculiarities,
and, to some extent, is cast in the form of the romance of our
own day, archaisms being avoided as much as possible. The
author will be gratified should he succeed in exciting interest
in the Doubled lives of our Norse forefathers, and still more
so if his difficult experiment brings readers to the Sagas— to
the prose epics of our own race. Too ample, too prolix, too
crowded with detail, they cannot indeed vie in art with the
epics of Greece ; but in their pictures of life, simple and heroic,
they fall beneath no literature in the world, save the Iliad and
the Odyssey alone.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. HOW ASMUND THE PKIEST FOUND (jrROA THE WlTCH . 1
II. How ERIC TOLD HIS LOVE TO GUDRUDA IN THE SNOW
ON COLDBACK ........ 9
III. HOW ASMUND BADE ERIC TO HIS YuLE-FEAST . . . 19
IV. How ERIC CAME DOWN GOLDEN FALLS .... 28
V. How ERIC WON THE SWORD WHITEFIRE . . . . 38
VI. How ASMUND THE PRIEST WAS BETROTHED TO UNNA . 51
VII. HOW ERIC WENT UP MOSFELL AGAINST SlvALLAGRIM
THE BARESARK .... . . . . GO
VIII. How OSPAKAR BLACKTOOTH FOUND ERIC BRIGHTEYES
AND SKALLAGRIM LAMBSTAIL ON HORSE-HEAD
HEIGHTS. 72
IX. HOW SWANHILD DEALT WITH GUDRUDA . . . . 82
X. How ASMUND SPOKE WITH SWANHILD .... 91
XI. How SWANHILD BID FAREWELL TO ERIC . ... 100
XII. How ERIC WAS OUTLAWED AND SAILED A- VIKING . .112
XIII. How HALL THE MATE CUT THE GRAPNEL-CHAIN . . 124
XIV. HOW ERIC DREAMED A DREAM ..... 132
XV. How ERIC DWELT IN LONDON TOWN . .... 146
XVI. How SWANHILD WALKED THE SEAS .... 155
XVII. How ASMUND THE PRIEST WEDDKD UNNA, THOROD'S
DAUGHTER ........ 105
XVIII. How EARL ATLI FOUND ERIC A\I> SKALLAGRIM ON THE
SOUTHERN ROCKS OF STRAUMICY ISLE . . . . 173
XIX. How KOLL THE HALF-WITTED BROUGHT TIDINGS FROM
ICELAND 182
Xll
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER
XX. How EKIC WAS NAMED ANEW
XXI. How HALL OF LITHDALE TOOK TIDINGS TO ICELAND
XXII. How EKIC CAME HOME AGAIN
XXIII. How ERIC WAS A GUEST AT THE WEDDING-FEAST OF
GUDRUDA THE FAIR
XXIV. How THE FEAST WENT
XXV. How THE FEAST ENDED
XXVI. HOW ERIC VENTURED DOWN TO MlDDALHOF AND WHAT
HE FOUND » . . . ... . . .
XXVII. How GUDRUDA WENT UP TO MOSFELL . .
XXVIII. HOW SWANHILD WON TlDlNGS OF ERIC . . .
XXIX. HOW WENT THE BRIDAL NlGHT
XXX. How THE DAWN CAME
XXXI. How ERIC SENT AWAY HIS MEN FROM MOSFELL
XXXII. How ERIC AND SKALLAGRIM GREW FEY . . . .
XXXIII. How ERIC AND SKALLAGRIM FOUGHT THEIR LAST GREAT
FIGHT
PAGK
191
200
208
217
225
223
241
250
260
271
284
293
301
309
LIST OF ILLUSTBATION8
FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
'AT HER FEET— IN A POOL — WAS A DEAD MAN' 2
'A MIGHTY LIFT' 50
ERIC ENCOUNTERS SKALLAGRIM 68
' THERE SHE HUNG, HER FEET RESTING ON THE SHELVING BANK ' . 88
'ERIC AND SWANHILD SAW HER NOT' 107
ERIC AND SKALLAGRIM BOARDING THE RAVEN 130
SWANHILD WALKS THE SEAS . . 162
' RIGHT THROUGH HER HEART IT SPED ' 172
' SWANHILD SHORE THROUGH IT WITH WHITEFIRE'S RAZOR-EDGE ' . 190
ERIC FINDS HIS MOTHER DEAD 216
' MEN TURNED AND LOOKED ' 222
' ALL NIGHT LONG GUDRUDA SAT IN THE BRIDE'S SEAT ' . . . 240
' DREW FORTH HER SHEARS ' 258
' SHE TOOK HIS HAND ' 280
'"LOOK UPON THY WORK, DRUNKARD!" 286
' HER WHITE ROBE WAS RED WITH BLOOD ; A GREAT SWORD WAS
SET IN HER HEART . 305
THE DEATH OF ERIC 317
WOODCUTS IN TEXT
INITIAL LETTER 1
THE GREAT HALL AT MIDDALHOF 9
OSPAKAR 19
GQLDEN FALLS 29
ION SHEEP-SADDLE ROCK 35
xiv ERIC BRIGHTEYES
PAGE
THE WRESTLING- SHOES 38
THE BARESARK PROPHESIES 60
' FALLS A HUNDRED FATHOMS DOWN * 67
INITIAL LETTER 82
SWANHILD WHISPERING TO HER GREY WOLF 88
INITIAL LETTER
„ 112
THE WESTMAN ISLES 124
LADY ELFRIDA 146
HALL THE LIAR ROWS ASHORE 147
THE SHIP GUDRTJDA IN THE THAMES 155
GROA BREWS A LOVE-POTION 167
ERIC AND SKALLAGRIM WASHED ASHORE 173
THE BROKEN LOVE -TOKEN 182
INITIAL LETTER 191
200
208
217
SKALLAGRIM GROUND HIS AXE 220
INITIAL LETTER 225
233
OSPAKAR'S CAIRN 241
BIDING OVER THE SNOWS 255
JON BOUND. 270
INITIAL LETTER 271
THE AXE CRASHED THROUGH THE PANELLING 284
INITIAL LETTER . . . 293
THE GHOST OF THE BARESARK 301
INITIAL LETTER , 309
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER I
HOW ASMUND THE PBIEST FOUND GROA THE WITCH
HERE lived a man in the south, before
Thangbrand, Wilibald's son, preached
the White Christ in Iceland. He was
named Eric Brighteyes, Thorgrimur's
son, and in those days there was no
man like him for strength, beauty and
4 daring, for in all these things he was the first.
But he was not the first in good-luck.
Two women lived in the south, not far from
where the Westman Islands stand above the sea.
Gudruda the Fair was the name of the one, and Swanhild,
called the Fatherless, Groa's daughter, was the other. They
were half-sisters, and there were none like them in those days,
for they were the fairest of all women, though they had nothing
in common except their blood and hate.
Now of Eric Brighteyes, of Gudruda the Fair, and of
Swanhild the Fatherless, there is a tale to tell.
These two fair women saw the light in the self-same hour.
But Eric Brighteyes was their elder by five years. The
father of Eric was Thorgrimur Iron- Toe. He had been a
mighty man ; but in fighting with a Baresark,1 who fell upon
1 The Bai'esarks were men on whom a passing fury of battle came ;
they were usually outlawed.
2 ERIC B RIGHTS YES
him as he came up from sowing his wheat, his foot was hewn
from him, so that afterwards he went upon a wooden leg
shod with iron. Still, he slew the Baresark, standing on one
leg and leaning against a rock, and for that deed people
honoured him much. Thorgrimur was a wealthy yeoman,
slow to wrath, just, and rich in friends. Somewhat late in life
he took to wife Saevuna, Thorod's daughter. She was the best
of women, strong in mind and second-sighted, and she could
cover herself in her hair. But these two never loved each
other overmuch, and they had but one child, Eric, who was born
when Saevuna was well on in years.
The father of Gudruda was Asmund Asmundson, the
Priest of Middalhof. He was the wisest and the wealthiest
of all men who lived in the south of Iceland in those days,
owning many farms and, also, two ships of merchandise and
one long ship of war, and having much money out at interest.
He had won his wealth by viking's work, robbing the English
coasts, and black tales were told of his doings in his youth on
the sea, for he was a 'red-hand ' viking. Asmund was a hand-
some man, with blue eyes and a large beard, and, moreover, was
very skilled in matters of law. He loved money much, and
was feared of all. Still, he had many friends, for as he aged
he. grew more kindly. He had in marriage Gudruda,
the daughter of Bjorn, who was very sweet and kindly of
nature, so that they called her Gudruda the Gentle. Of this
marriage there were two children, Bjorn and Gudruda the
Fair ; but Bjorn grew up like his father in his youth, strong
and hard, and greedy of gain, while, except for her wonderful
beauty, Gud,ruda was her mother's child alone.
The mother of Swanhild the Fatherless was Groa the
Witch. She was a Finn, and it is told of her that the ship
on which she sailed, trying to run under the lee of the West-
man Isles in a great gale from the north-east, was dashed to
pieces on a rock, and all those on board of her were caught in
the net of Ran l and drowned, except Groa herself, who was saved
by her magic art. This at the least is true, that, as Asmund
the Priest rode down by the sea-shore on the morning after
1 The Norse goddess of the sea,
'At her feet — in a pool — \v*as a dead man.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 3
the gale, seeking for some strayed horses, he found a beautiful
woman, who wore a purple cloak and a great girdle of gold,
seated on a rock, combing her black hair and singing the
while ; and, at her feet, washing to and fro in a pool, was a
dead man. He asked whence she came, and she answered :
1 Out of the Swan's Bath.'
Next he asked her where were her kin. But, pointing to
the dead man, she said that this alone was left of them.
' Who was the man, then ? ' said Asmund the Priest.
She laughed again and sang this song :—
Groa sails up from the Swan's Bath,
Death Gods grip the Dead Man's hand.
Look where lies her luckless husband,
Bolder sea-king ne'er swung sword !
Asmund, keep the kirtle-wearer,
For last night the Norns were crying,
And Groa thought they told of thee :
Yea, told of thee and babes unborn.
' How knowest thou my name ? ' asked Asmund.
' The sea-mews cried it as the ship sank, thine and others
— and they shall be heard in story.'
' Then that is the best of luck,' quoth Asmund ; ' but
I think that thou art fey.' 1
' Ay,' she answered, ' fey and fair.'
* True enough thou art fair. What shall we do with this
dead man ? '
4 Leave him in the arms of Ran. So may all husbands lie.'
They spoke no more with her at that time, seeing that
she was a witchwoman. But Asmund took her up to Mid-
dalhof, and gave her a farm, and she lived there alone, and
(profited much by her wisdom.
Now it chanced that Gudruda the Gentle was with child,
d when her time came she gave a daughter birth — a very
lair girl, with dark eyes. On the same day, Groa the witch-
Kinan brought forth a girl-child, and men wondered who
1 I.e. subject to supernatural presentiments, generally connected with
reaching doom.
..
4 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
was its father, for Groa was no man's wife. It was women's
talk that Asmund the Priest was the father of this child
also ; but when he heard it he was angry, and said that
no witchwoman should bear a bairn of his, howsoever fair
she was. Nevertheless, it was still said that the child was
his, and it is certain that he loved it as a man loves his
own ; but of all things, this is the hardest to know. When
.Groa was questioned she laughed darkly, as was her fashion,
and said that she knew nothing of it, never having seen
the face of the child's father, who rose out of the sea at
night. And for this cause some thought him to have been a
wizard or the wraith of her dead husband ; but others said
that Groa lied, as many women have done on such matters.
But of all this talk the child alone remained and she was
named Swanhild.
Now, but an hour before the child of Gudruda the Gentle
was born, Asmund went up from his house to the Temple, to
tend the holy fire that burned night and day upon the altar.
When he had tended the fire he sat down upon the cross-
benches before the shrine, and, gazing on the image of the
Goddess Freya, he fell asleep and dreamed a very evil dream.
He dreamed that Gudruda the Gentle bore a dove most
beautiful to see, for all its feathers were of silver ; but that
Groa the Witch bore a golden snake. And the snake and
the dove dwelt together, and ever the snake sought to slay
the dove. At length there came a great white swan flying
over Coldback Fell, and its tongue was a sharp sword. Now
the swan saw the dove and loved it, and the dove loved the
swan ; but the snake reared itself, and hissed, and sought to
kill the dove. But the swan covered her with his wings, and
beat the snake away. Then he, Asmund, came out and
drove away the swan, as the swan had driven the snake, and
it wheeled high into the air and flew south, and the snake swam
away also through the sea. But the dove drooped and now
it was blind. Then an eagle came from the north, and would
have taken the dove, but it fled round and round, crying, and
always the eagle drew nearer to it. At length, from the
south the swan came back, flying heavily, and about its neck
ERIC BIUGHTEYES 5
was twined the golden snake, and with it came a raven. And
it saw the eagle and loud it trumpeted, and shook the snake
from it so that it fell like a gleam of gold into the sea. Then
the eagle and the swan met in battle, and the swan drove
the eagle down and broke it with his wings, and, flying to the
dove, comforted it. But those in the house ran out and shot
at the swan with bows and drove it away, but now he,
Asmund, was not with them. And once more the dove drooped.
Again the swan came back, and with it the raven, and a great
host were gathered against them, and, among them, all
Asmund's kith and kin, and the men of his quarter and some of
his priesthood, and many whom he did not know by face.
And the swan flew at Bjorn his son, and shot out the sword
of its tongue and slew him, and many a man it slew thus.
And the raven, with a beak and claws of steel, slew also many
a man, so that Asmund's kindred fled and the swan slept by
the dove. But as it slept the golden snake crawled out of
the sea, and hissed in the ears of men, and they rose up to
follow it. It came to the swan and twined itself about its
neck. It struck at the dove and slew it. Then the swan
awoke and the raven awoke, and they did battle till all
who remained of Asmund's kindred and people were dead.
But still the snake clung about the swan's neck, and presently
snake and swan fell into the sea, and far out on the sea there
burned a flame of fire. And Asmund awoke trembling and
left the Temple.
Now as he went, a woman came running, and weeping as
she ran.
' Haste, haste ! ' she cried ; ' a daughter is born to thee, and
P^1 "druda thy wife is dying ! '
' Is it so ? ' said Asmund ; ' after ill dreams ill tidings.'
Now in the bed-closet off the great hall of Middalhof lay
Gudruda the Gentle and she was d)ing.
' Art tliou there, husband ? ' she said.
' Even so, wife.'
' Thou comest in an evil hour, for it is my last. Now
hearken. Take thou the new-born babe within thine arms and
kiss it, and pour water over it, and name it with my name.'
6 ERIC B RIGHTS YES
This Asmund did.
' Hearken, my husband. I have been a good wife to thee,
though thou hast not been all good to me. But thus slialt
thou atone : thou shalt swear that, though she is a girl, thou
wilt not cast this bairn forth to perish, but wilt cherish and
nurture her.'
' I swear it,' he said.
1 And thou shalt swear that thou wilt not take the witch-
woman Groa to wife, nor have anything to do with her, and this
for thine own sake : for, if thou dost, she will be thy death.
Dost thou swear ? '
* I swear it,' he said.
1 It is well ; but, husband, if thou dost break thine oath,
either in the words or in the spirit of the words, evil shall over-
take thee and all thy house. Now bid me farewell, for I die.'
He bent over her and kissed her, and it is said that Asmund
wept in that hour, for after his fashion he loved his wife.
' Give me the babe,' she said, ' that it may lie once upon
my breast.'
They gave her the babe and she looked upon its dark eyes
and said :
' Fairest of women shalt thou be, Gudruda — fair as no
woman in Iceland ever was before thee ; and thou shalt love
with a mighty love— and thou slialt lose — and, losing, thou
shalt find again.'
Now, it is said that, as she spoke these words, her face grew
bright as a spirit's, and, having spoken them, she fell back
dead. And they laid her in earth, but Asmund mourned her
much.
But, when all was over and done, the dream that he had
dreamed lay heavy on him. Now of all diviners of dreams
Groa was the most skilled, and when Gudruda had been in
earth seven full days, Asmund went to Groa, though doubtfully,
because of his oath.
He came to the house and entered. On a couch in the
chamber lay Groa, and her babe was on her breast and she
was very fair to see.
1 Greeting, lord ! ' she said. ' What wouldest thou here ?
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 7
1 1 have dreamed a dream, and thou alone canst read it.'
' That is as it may be,' she answered. * It is true that I
have some skill in dreams. At the least I will hear it.'
Then he unfolded it to her every word.
' What wilt thou give me if I read thy dream ? ' she said.
' What dost thou ask ? Methinks I have given thee much.'
* Yea, lord,' and she looked at the babe upon her breast.
' I ask but a little thing : that thou shalt take this bairn in thy
arms, pour water over it and name it.'
' Men will talk if I do this, for it is the father's part.'
* It is a little thing what men say : talk goes by as the wind.
Moreover, thou shalt give them the lie in the child's name, for
it shall be Swanhild the Fatherless. Nevertheless that is my
price. Pay it if thou wilt.'
* Read me the dream and I will name the child.'
' Nay, first name thou the babe : for then no harm shall
come to her at thy hands.'
So Asmund took the child, poured water over her, and
named her.
Then Groa spoke : * This, lord, is the reading of thy dream,
else my wisdom is at fault : The silver dove is thy daughter
Gudruda, the golden snake is my daughter Swanhild, and
these two shall hate one the other and strive against each
other. But the swan is a mighty man whom both shall love,
and, if he love not both, yet he shall belong to both. And thou
shalt send him away ; but he shall return and bring bad luck
to thee and thy house, and thy daughter shall be blind with
love of him. And in the end he shall slay the eagle, a great
lord from the north who shall seek to wed thy daughter, and
many another shall he slay, by the help of that raven with
the bill of steel who shall be with him. But Swanhild shall
triumph over thy daughter Gudruda, and this man, and the
two of them, shall die at her hands, and, for the rest, who can
say ? But this is true — that the mighty man shall bring all
y race to an end. See now, I have read thy rede.'
Then Asmund was very wroth. ' Thou wast wise to be-
ile me to name thy bastard brat,' he said ; ' else had I
been its death within this hour.'
8 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 This thou canst not do, lord, seeing that thou hast held it
in thy arms,' Groa answered, laughing. ' Go rather and
lay out Gudruda the Fair on Coldback Hill ; so shalt thou make
an end of the evil, for Gudruda shall be its very root. Learn
this, moreover : that thy dream does not tell all, seeing that
thou thyself must play a part in the fate. Go, send forth the
babe Gudruda, and be at rest.'
' That cannot be, for I have sworn to cherish it, and with
an oath that may not be broken.'
' It is well,' laughed Groa. * Things will befall as they
are fated ; let them befall in their season. There is space for
cairns on Coldback and the sea can shroud its dead ! '
And Asmund went thence, angered at heart.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER II
HOW ERIC TOLD HIS LOVE TO GUDRUDA IN THE SNOW
ON COLDBACK
THK GItEAT HALL AT MIJJDALHOF.
NOW, it must
be told that,
five } ears be-
fore the day
of the death
of Gudruda the Gentle,
the wife of
Thorgrimur Iron-Toe,
birth to a son, at
Coldback in the Marsh,
on Ran River, and when
his father came to look
upon the child he called
out aloud :
' Here we have a
wondrous bairn, for his
hair is yellow like gold
and his eyes shine
io ERIC BRIGHTEYES
bright as stars.' And Thorgrimur named him Eric Bright-
eyes.
Now, Coldback is but an hour's ride from Middalhof, and
it chanced, in after years, that Thorgrimur went up to Mid-
dalof, to keep the Yule feast and worship in the Temple, for he.;
was in the priesthood of Asmund Asmundson, bringing the
boy Eric with him. There also was Groa with Swanhild, for
now she dwelt at Middalhof ; and the three fair children were !
set together in the hall to play, and men thought it ,^n
sport to see them. Now, Gudruda had a horse of wood \\
would ride it while Eric pushed the horse along. But Swanx.
hild smote her from the horse and called to Eric to make it
move ; but he comforted Gudruda and would not, and at that
Swanhild was angry and lisped out :
1 Push thou must, if I will it, Eric.'
Then he pushed sideways and with such good will that
Swanhild fell almost into the fire of the hearth, and, leaping
up, she snatched a brand and threw it at Gudruda, firing
her clothes. Men laughed at this ; but Groa, standing apart,
frowned and muttered witch- words.
1 Why lookest thou so darkly, housekeeper ? ' said Asmund ;
' the boy is bonny and high of heart.'
' Ah, he is bonny as no child is, and he shall be bonny all
his life-days. Nevertheless, he shall not stand against his ill
luck. This I prophesy of him : that women shall bring him
to his end, and he shall die a hero's death, but not at the
hand of his foes.'
And now the years went by peacefully. Groa dwelt with
her daughter Swanhild up at Middalhof and was the love
of Asmund Asmundson. But, though he forgot his oath thus
far, yet he would never take her to wife. The witchwife
was angered at this, and she schemed and plotted much to
bring it about that Asmund should wed her. But still he
would not, though in all things else she led him as it were by
a halter.
Twenty full years had gone by since Gudruda the Gentle
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 11
was laid in earth ; and now Gudruda the Fair and Swanhild the
Fatherless were women grown. Eric, too, was a man of five-
and- twenty years, and no such man had lived in Iceland. For
he was strong and great of stature, his hair was yellow as
jold, and his grey eyes shone with the light of swords. He
was gentle and loving as a woman, and even as a lad his
strength was the strength of two men ; and there were none
in all the quarter who could leap or swim or wrestle against
;c Brighteyes. Men held him in honour and spoke well of
i, though as yet he had done no deeds, but lived at home
. a Coldback, managing the farm, for now Thorgrimur Iron-
Toe, his father, was dead. But women loved him much, and that
was his bane— for of all women he loved but one, Gudruda the
Fair, Asmund's daughter. He loved her from a child, and
her alone till his day of death, and she, too, loved him and
him only. For now Gudruda was a maid of maids, most
beautiful to see and sweet to hear. Her hair, like the hair
of Eric, was golden, and she was white as the snow on
Hecla ; but her eyes were large and dark, and black lashes
drooped above them. For the rest she was tall and strong
and comely, merry of face, yet tender, and the most witty of
women.
Swanhild also was very fair ; she was slender, small of
limb, and dark of hue, having eyes blue as the deep sea, and
brown curling hair, enough to veil her to the knees, and a
mind of which none knew the end, for, though she was open
in her talk, her thoughts were dark and secret. This was her
joy : to draw the hearts of men to her and then to mock them.
She beguiled many in this fashion, for she was the cunningest
girl in matters of love, and she knew well the arts of women,
with which they bring men to nothing. Nevertheless she
was cold at heart, and desired power and wealth greatly, and
she studied magic much, of which her mother Groa also had
a store. But Swanhild, too, loved a man, and that was the joint
in her harness by which the shaft of Fate entered her heart, for
that man was Eric Brighteyes, who loved her not. But she
desired him so sorely that, without him, all the world was dark
to her, and her soul but as a ship driven rudderless upon a
12
ERIC BR1GHTEYES
winter night. Therefore she put out all her strength to win
him, and bent her witcheries upon him, and they were not few
nor small. Nevertheless they went by him like the wind, for
he dreamed ever of Gudruda alone, and he saw no eyes but
hers, though as yet they spoke no word of love one to the
other.
But Swanhild in her wrath took counsel with her mother
Groa, though there was little liking between them ; and, when
she had heard the maiden's tale, Groa laughed aloud :
1 Dost think me blind, girl ? ' she said ; ' all of this I have
seen, yea and foreseen, and I tell thee thou art mad. Let
this yeoman Eric go and I will find thee finer fowl to fly at.'
' Nay, that I will not,' quoth Swanhild : ' for I love this man
alone, and I would win him ; and Gudruda I hate, and I would
overthrow her. Give me of thy counsel.'
Groa laughed again. * Things must be as they are fated.
This now is my rede : Asmund would turn Gudruda' s beauty
to account, and that man must be rich in friends and money
who gets her to wife, and in this matter the mind of Bjorn is
as the mind of his father. Now we will watch, and, when a
good time chances, we will bear tales of Gudruda to Asmund
and to her brother Bjorn, and swear that she oversteps her
modesty with Eric. Then shall Asmund be wroth and drive
Eric from Gudruda's side. Meanwhile, I will do this : In the
north there dwells a man mighty in all things and blown up
with pride. He is named Ospakar Blacktooth. His wife is
but lately dead, and he has given out that he will wed the fairest
maid in Iceland. Now, it is in my mind to send Koll the Half-
witted, my thrall, whom Asmund gave to me, to Ospakar as
though by chance. He is a great talker and very clever, for
in his half-wits is more cunning than in the brains of most ;
and he shall so bepraise Gudruda's beauty that Ospakar will
come hither to ask her in marriage ; and in this fashion, if
things go well, thou shalt be rid of thy rival, and I of one who
looks scornfully upon me. But, if this fail, then there are two
roads left on which strong feet may travel to their end ; and
of these, one is that thou shouldest win Eric away with thine
own beauty, and that is not little. All men are frail, and I
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 13
have a draught that will make the heart as wax ; but yet the
other path is surer.'
' And what is that path, my mother ? '
' It runs through blood to blackness. By thy side is a
knife and in Gudruda's bosom beats a heart. Dead women
are unmeet for love ! '
Swanhild tossed her head and looked upon the dark face
of Groa her mother.
* Methinks, with such an end to win, I should not fear to
tread that path, if there be need, my mother.'
' Now I see thou art indeed my daughter. Happiness is to
the bold. To each it comes in uncertain shape. Some love
power, some wealth, and some— a man. Take that which thou
lovest— I say, cut thy path to it and take it ; else shall thy life
be but a weariness : for what does it serve to win the wealth and
power when thou lovest a man alone, or the man when thou
dost desire gold and the pride of place ? This is wisdom : to
satisfy the longing of thy youth ; for age creeps on apace and
beyond is darkness. Therefore, if thou seekest this man, and
Gudruda blocks thy path, slay her, girl — by witchcraft or by
steel — and take him, and in his arms forget that thine own are
red. But first let us try the easier plan. Daughter, I too hate
this proud girl, who scorns me as her father's light -of -love.
I too long to see that bright head of hers dull with the dust of
death, or, at the least, those proud eyes weeping tears of shame
as the man she hates leads her hence a bride. Were it not for
her I should be Asmund's wife, and, when she is gone, with
thy help — for he loves thee much and has cause to love thee—
this I may be yet. So in this matter, if in no other, let us go
hand in hand and match our wit against her innocence.'
* So be it,' said Swanhild ; * fail me not and fear not that I
shall fail thee.'
Now, Koll the Half-witted went upon his errand, and the
time passed till it lacked but a month to Yule, and men sat
indoors, for the season was dark and much snow fell. At
length came frost, and with it a clear sky, and Gudruda, ceas-
ing from her spinning in the hall, went to 'the women's porch,
'
I4 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
and, looking out, saw that the snow was hard, and a great
longing came upon her to breathe the fresh air, for there was
still an hour of daylight. So she threw a cloak about her and
walked forth, taking the road towards Coldback in the Marsh
that is by Kan River. But Swanhild watched her till she was
over the hill. Then she also took a cloak and followed on
that path, for she always watched Gudruda.
Gudruda walked on for the half of an hour or so, when she
became aware that clouds gathered in the sky, and that the
air was heavy with snow to come. Seeing this she turned
homewards, and Swanhild hid herself to let her pass. Now
flakes floated down as big and soft as fifa flowers. Quicker and
more quick they came till all the plain was one white maze of
mist, but through it Gudruda walked on, and after her crept
Swanhild, like a shadow. And now the darkness gathered
and the snow fell thick and fast, covering up the track of her
footsteps and she wandered from the path, and after her
wandered Swanhild, being loath to show herself. For an hour
or more Gudruda wandered and then she called aloud and her
voice fell heavily against the cloak of snow. At the last she
grew weary and frightened, and sat down upon a shelving rock
whence the snow had slipped away. Now, a little way behind
was another rock and there Swanhild sat, for she wished to
be unseen of Gudruda. So some time passed, and Swanhild
grew heavy as though with sleep, when of a sudden a moving
thing loomed upon the snowy darkness. Then Gudruda leapt
to her feet and called. A man's voice answered :
1 Who passes there ? '
' I, Gudruda, Asmund's daughter.'
The form came nearer; now Swanhild could hear the
snorting of a horse, and now a man leapt from it, and that
man was Eric Brighteyes.
' Is it thou indeed, Gudruda ! ' he said with a laugh, and
his great shape showed darkly on the snow mist.
' Oh, is it thou, Eric ? ' she answered. < T was never more
joyed to see thee ; for of a truth thou dost come in a good
hour. A little while and I had seen thee no more, for my
eyes grow heavy with the death-sleep.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 15
' Nay, say not so. Art lost, then ? Why, so am I. I
came out to seek three horses that are strayed, and was over-
taken by the snow. May they dwell in Odin's stables, for
they have led me to thee. Art thou cold, Gudruda ? '
1 But a little, Eric. Yea, there is place for thee here on
the rock.'
So he sat down by her on the stone, and Swanhild crept
nearer; for now all weariness had left her. But still the
snow fell thick.
1 It comes into my mind that we two shall die here,' said
Gudruda presently,
' Thinkest thou so ? ' he answered. ' Well, I will say this,
that I ask no better end.'
' It is a bad end for thee, Eric : to be choked in snow, and
with all thy deeds to do.'
' It is a good end, Gudruda, to die at thy side, for so I shall
die happy ; but I grieve for thee.'
' Grieve not for me, Brighteyes, worse things might befall.'
He drew nearer to her, and now he put his arm about her
and clasped her to his bosom ; nor did she say him nay.
Swanhild saw and lifted herself up behind them, but for a
while she heard nothing but the beating of her heart.'
* Listen, Gudruda,' Eric said at last. ' Death draws near to
us, and before it comes I would speak to thee, if speak I may.'
' Speak on,' she whispers from his breast.
' This I would say, then : that I love thee, and that I ask
no better fate than to die in thy arms.'
' First shalt thou see me die in thine, Eric.'
' Be sure, if that is so, I shall not tarry for long. Oh !
Gudruda, since I was a child I have loved thee with a mighty
love, and now thou art all to me. Better to die thus than to
live without thee. Speak, then, while there is time.'
I will not hide from thee, Eric, that thy words are sweet
ly ears.'
And now Gudruda sobs and the tears fall fast from her dark
s.
' Nay, weep not. Dost thou, then, love me ? '
' Ay, sure enough, Eric,'
16 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
'Then kiss me before we pass. A man should not die
thus, and yet men have died worse.'
And so these two kissed, for the first time, out in the snow
on Coldback, and that first kiss was long and sweet.
Swanhild heard and her blood seethed within her as water
seethes in a boiling spring when the fires wake beneath. She
put her hand to her kirtle and gripped the knife at her side.
She half drew it, then drove it back.
' Cold kills as sure as steel,' she said in her heart. ' If I
slay her I cannot save myself or him. Let us die in peace, and let
the snow cover up our troubling.' And once more she listened.
' Ah, sweet,' said Eric, ' even in the midst of death there
is hope of life. Swear to me, then, that if by chance we live
thou wilt love me always as thou lovest me now.'
' Ay, Eric, I swear that and readily.'
' And swear, come what may, that thou wilt wed no man
but me.'
' I swear, if thou dost remain true to me, that I will wed
none but thee, Eric.'
' Then I am sure of thee.'
1 Boast not overmuch, Eric : if thou dost live thy days are
all before thee, and with times come trials.'
Now the snow whirled down faster and more thick, till these
two, clasped heart to heart, were but a heap of white, and all
white was the horse, and Swanhild was nearly buried.
'Where go we when we die, Eric?' said Gudruda; 'in
Odin's house there is no place for maids, and how shall my
feet fare without thee ? '
' Nay, sweet, my May, Valhalla shuts its gates to me, a
deedless man ; up Bifrost's rainbow bridge I may not travel,
for I do not die with byrnie on breast and sword aloft. To
Hela shall we go, and hand in hand.'
' Art thou sure, Eric, that men find these abodes ? To say
sooth, at times I misdoubt me of them.'
' I am not so sure but that I also doubt. Still, I know this :
that where thou goest there I shall be, Gudruda.'
' Then things are well, and well work the Norns.1 Still,
1 The Northern Fates.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 17
Eric, of a sudden I grow fey : for it comes upon me that I shall
not die to-night, but that, nevertheless, I shall die with thy
arms about me, and at thy side. There, I see it on the
snow ! I lie by thee, sleeping, and one comes with hands
outstretched and sleep falls from them like a mist — by Freya,
it is Swanhild's self ! Oh ! it is gone.'
' It was nothing, Gudruda, but a vision of the snow — an un-
timely dream that comes before the sleep. I grow cold and
my eyes are heavy ; kiss me once again.'
' It was no dream, Eric, and ever I doubt me of Swanhild,
for I think she loves thee also, and she is fair and my enemy,'
says Gudruda, laying her snow-cold lips on his lips. ' Oh, Eric,
awake ! awake ! See, the snow is done.'
He stumbled to his feet and looked forth. Lo ! out across
the sky flared the wild Northern fires, throwing light upon the
darkness.
4 Now it seems that I know the land,' said Eric. ' Look :
yonder are Golden Falls, though we did not hear them because
of the snow ; and there, out at sea, loom the Westmans ; and
that dark thing is the Temple Hof, and behind it stands the
stead. We are saved, Gudruda, and thus far indeed thou
wast fey. Now rise, ere thy limbs stiffen, and I will set thee
on the horse, if he still can run, and lead thee down to Mid-
dalhof before the witchlights fail us.'
4 So it shall be, Eric.'
Now he led Gudruda to the horse — that, seeing its master,
snorted and shook the snow from its coat, for it was not
frozen — and set her on the saddle, and put his arm about
her waist, and they passed slowly through the deep snow.
And Swanhild, too, crept from her place, for her burning
rage had kept the life in her, and followed after them. Many
times she fell, and once she was nearly swallowed in a drift of
snow and cried out in her fear.
' Who called aloud ? ' said Eric, turning ; ' I thought 1
heard a voice.'
' Nay,' answers Gudruda, ' it was but a night-hawk
screaming.'
I Now Swanhild lay quiet in the drift, but she said in her heart :
'
I8 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 Ay, a night-hawk that shall tear out those dark eyes of
thine, my enemy ! '
The two go on and at length they come to the banked
roadway that runs past the Temple to Asmund's hall. Here
Swanhild leaves them, and, climbing over the turf -wall into
the home meadow, passes round the hall by the outbuildings
and so comes to the west end of the house, and enters by the
men's door unnoticed of any. For all the people, seeing a
horse coming and a woman seated on it, were gathered in
front of the hall. But Swanhild ran to that shut bed where
she slept, and, closing the curtain, threw off her garments, shook
the snow from her hair, and put on a linen kirtle. Then she
rested a while, for she was weary, and, going to the kitchen,
warmed herself at the fire.
Meanwhile Eric and Gudruda came to the house and
there Asmund greeted them well, for he was troubled in his
heart about his daughter, and very glad to know her living,
seeing that men had but now begun to search for her, because
of the snow and the darkness.
Now Gudruda told her tale, but not all of it, and Asmund
bade Eric to the house. Then one asked about Swanhild, and
Eric said that he had seen nothing of her, and Asmund was
sad at this, for he loved Swanhild. But as he told all men to
go and search, an old wife came and said that Swanhild was
in the kitchen, and while the carline spoke she came into the
hall, dressed in white, very pale and with shining eyes and
fair to see.
' Where hast thou been, Swanhild ? ' said Asmund. ' I
thought certainly thou wast perishing with Gudruda in the
snow, and now all men go to seek thee while the witchlights
burn.'
1 Nay, foster-father, I have been to the Temple,' she an-
swered, lying. ' So Gudruda has but narrowly escaped the
snow, thanks be to Brighteyes yonder! Surely I am glad
of it, for we could ill spare our sweet sister,' and, going up
to her, she kissed her. But Gudruda saw that her eyes
burned like fire and felt that her lips were cold as ice, and
shrank back wondering.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTEK III
HOW ASMUND BADE EKIC TO HIS YULE-FEAST
|iOW it was supper- time and men
sat at meat while the women
waited upon them. But as
she went to and fro, Gudruda
always looked at Eric, and
Swanhild watched them both.
Supper being over, people
gathered round the hearth,
and, having finished her ser-
vice, Gudruda came and sat by
Eric, so that her sleeve might
touch his arm. They spoke no
word, but there they sat and
were happy. Swanhild saw
and bit her lip. Now, she was
seated by Asmund and Bjorn
his son.
' Look, foster-father,' she said ; ' yonder sit a pretty pair ! '
' That cannot be denied,' answered Asmund. ' One may
ride many days to see such another man as Eric Brighteyes,
and no such maid as Gudruda flowers between Middalhof and
London town, unless it be thou, Swanhild. Well, so her
mother said that it should be, and without doubt she was
ioresighted at her death.'
' Nay, name me not with Gudruda, foster-father ; I am
but a grey goose by thy white swan. But these shall be well
vred and that will be a good match for Eric.'
c2
20
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
' Let not thy tongue ran on so fast,' said Asmund sharply.
' Who told thee that Eric should have Gudruda ? '
* None told me, but in truth, having eyes and ears, I grew
certain of it,' said Swanhild. ' Look at them now : surely
lovers wear such faces.'
Now it chanced that Gudruda had rested her chin on her
hand, and was gazing into Eric's eyes beneath the shadow of
her hair.
' Methinks my sister will look higher than to wed a simple
yeoman, though he is large as two other men,' said Bjorn
with a sneer. Now Bjorn was jealous of Eric's strength and
beauty, and did not love him.
* Trust nothing that thou seest and little that thou nearest,
girl,' said Asmund, raising himself from thought : ' so shall
thy guesses be good. Eric, come here and tell us how thou
didst chance on Gudruda in the snow.'
' I was not so ill seated but that I could bear to stay,'
grumbled Eric beneath his breath ; but Gudruda said * Go.'
So he went and told his tale ; but not all of it, for he in-
tended to ask Gudruda in marriage on the morrow, though
his heart prophesied no luck in the matter, and therefore he
was not overswift with it.
' In this thing thou hast done me and mine good service,'
said Asmund coldly, searching Eric's face with his blue eyes.
' It had been sad if my fair daughter had perished in the snow,
for, know this : I would set her high in marriage, for her honour
and the honour of my house, and so some rich and noble man
had lost great joy. But take thou this gift in memory
of the deed, and Gudruda's husband shall give thee another
such upon the day that he makes her wife,' and he drew a
gold ring off his arm.
Now Eric's knees trembled as he heard, and his heart
grew faint as though with fear. But he answered clear and
straight :
' Thy gift had been better without thy words, ring-giver -r
but I pray thee to take it back, for I have done nothing to win
it, though perhaps the time will come when I shall ask thee
for a richer.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 21
'My gifts have never been put away before,' said Asmund,
growing angry.
' This wealthy farmer holds the good gold of little worth.
It is foolish to take fish to the sea, my father,' sneered
Bjorn.
4 Nay, Bjorn, not so,' Eric answered : ' but, as thou sayest,
I am but a farmer, and since my father, Thorgrimur Iron-Toe,
died things have not, gone too well on Ran River. But at
the least I am a free man, and I will take no gifts that I
cannot repay worth for worth. Therefore I will not have the
ring.'
' As thou wilt,' said Asmund. t Pride is a good horse if
thou ridest wisely,' and he thrust the ring back upon his
arm.
Then people go to rest ; but Swanhild seeks her mother, and
tells her all that has befallen her, nor does Groa fail to
listen.
' Now I will make a plan,' she says, ' for these things have
chanced well and Asmund is in a ripe humour. Eric shall
come no more to Middalhof till Gudruda is gone hence, led
by Ospakar Blacktooth.'
* And if Eric does not come here, how shall I see his face ?
for, mother, I long for the sight of it.'
' That is thy matter, thou lovesick fool. Know this : that
if Eric comes hither and gets speech with Gudruda, there is
an end of thy hopes ; for, fair as thou art, she is too fair for
thee, and, strong as thou art, in a way she is too strong. Thou
hast heard how these two love, and such loves mock at the
will of fathers. Eric will win his desire or die beneath the
swords of Asmund and Bjorn, if such men can prevail against his
might. Nay, the wolf Eric must be fenced from the lamb till
he grows hungry. Then let him search the fold and make
spoil of thee, for, when the best is gone, he will desire the
good.'
* So be it, mother. As I sat crouched behind Gudruda in
the snow at Coldback I had half a mind to end her love-
words with this knife, for so I should have been free of
her.'
22
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
' Yes, and fact in the doom-ring, thou wildcat. The gods
help this Eric, if thou winnest him. Nay, choose thy time and,
if thou must strike, strike secretly and home. Remember also
that cunning is mightier than strength, that lies pierce further
than swords, and that witchcraft wins where honesty must
fail. Now I will go to Asmund, and he shall be an angry man
before to-morrow comes.'
Then Groa went to the shut bed where Asmund the
Priest slept He was sitting on the bed and asked her why
she came.
* For love of thee, Asmund, and thy house, though thou
dost treat me ill, who hast profited so much by me and my
foresight. Say now : wilt thou that this daughter of thine,
Gudruda the Fair, should be the light May of yonder long-
legged yeoman ? '
'That is not in my mind,' said Asmund, stroking his
beard.
' Knowest thou, then, that this very day your white
Gudruda sat on Eric's lap in the snow, while he fondled her
to his heart's content ? '
' Most likely it was for warmth. Men do not dream on love
in the hour of death. Who saw this ? '
' Swanhild, who was behind, and hid herself for shame,
and therefore she held that these two must soon be wed !
Ah, thou art foolish now, Asmund. Young blood makes
light of cold or death. Art thou blind, or dost thou not see
that these two turn to each other like birds at nesting- time ? '
' They might do worse,' said Asmund, ' for they are a
proper pair, and it seems to me that each was born for
each.'
' Then all goes well. Still, it is a pity to see so fair a maid
cast like rotten bait upon the waters to hook this troutlet
of a yeoman. Thou hast enemies, Asmund ; thou art too
prosperous, and there are many who hate thee for thy state
and wealth. Were it not wise to use this girl of thine to build
a wall about thee against the evil day ? '
' I have been more wont, housekeeper, to trust to my
own arm than to bought friends. But tell me, for at the least
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 23
thou art far-seeing, how may this be done ? As things are,
though I spoke roughly to him this night, I am inclined to let
Eric Brighteyes take Gudruda. I have always loved the lad,
and he will go far.'
* Listen, Asmund ! Surely thou hast heard of Ospakar
Blacktooth — the priest who dwells in the north ? '
* Ay, I have heard of him, and I know him ; there is no
man like him for ugliness, or strength, or wealth and power.
We sailed together on a viking cruise many years ago, and
he did things at which my blood turned, and in those days I
had no chicken heart.'
' With time men change their temper. Unless I am mis-
taken, this Ospakar wishes above all to have Gudruda in
marriage, for, now that everything is his, this alone is left for
him to ask— the fairest woman in Iceland as a housewife.
Think then, with Ospakar for a son-in-law, who is there that
can stand against thee ? '
' I am not so sure of this matter, nor do I altogether trust
thee, Groa. Of a truth it seems to me that thou hast some
stake upon the race. This Ospakar is evil and hideous. It
were a shame to give Gudruda over to him when she looks else-
where. Knowest thou that I swore to love and cherish her,
and how runs this with my oath ? If Eric is not too rich,
yet he is of good birth and kin, and, moreover, a man of men.
If he take her good will come of it.'
' It is like thee, Asmund, always to mistrust those who spend
their days in plotting for thy weal. Do as thou wilt : let
Eric take this treasure of thine — for whom earls would give
their state — and live to rue it. But I say this : if he
have thy leave to roam here with his dove the matter will
soon grow, for these two sicken each to each, and young
blood is hot and ill at waiting, and it is not always
snow-time. So betroth her or let him go. And now I have
said.'
' Thy tongue runs too fast. The man is quite unproved and
I will try him. To-morrow I will warn him from my door ;
then things shall go as they arc fated. And now peace, for I
weary of thy talk, and, moreover, it is false ; for thou lackest
24 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
one thing— a little honesty to season all thy craft. What
fee has Ospakar paid thee, I wonder. Thou at least hadst
never refused the gold ring to-night, for thou wouldst do
much for gold.'
'And more for love, and most of all for hate,' Groa said,
and laughed aloud ; nor did they speak more on this matter
that night.
Now, early in the morning Asmund rose, and, going to the
hall, awoke Eric, who slept by the centre hearth, saying that
he would talk with him without. Then Eric followed him
to the back of the hall.
' Say now, Eric,' he said, when they stood in the grey
light outside the house, ' who was it taught thee that kisses
keep out the cold on snowy days ? '
Now Eric reddened to his yellow hair, but he answered :
* Who was it told thee, lord, that I tried this medicine ? '
' The snow hides much, but there are eyes that can pierce
the snow. Nay, more, thou wast seen, and there's an end.
Now know this — I like thee well, but Gudruda is not for thee ;
she is far above thee, who art but a deedless yeoman.'
* Then I love to no end,' said Eric ; ' I long for one
thing only, and that is Gudruda. It was in my mind to ask
her in marriage of thee to-day.'
' Then, lad, thou hast thy answer before thou askest.
Be sure of one thing : if but once again I find thee alone
with Gudruda, it is my axe shall kiss thee and not her
lips.'
* That may yet be put to the proof, lord,' said Eric,
and turned to seek his horse, when suddenly Gudruda came
and stood between them, and his heart leapt at the sight of
her.
' Listen, Gudruda,' Eric said. ' This is thy father's word :
that we two speak together no more.'
' Then it is an ill saying for us,' said Gudruda, laying her
hand upon her breast.
' Saying good or ill, so it surely is, girl,' answered Asmund.
' No more sliajt thou go a-kissing, in the snow or in the
flowers.'
Eric and Skallagrim boarding the ' Haven/
ERIC B RIGHTS YES 25
' Now I seem to hear Swanhild's voice,' she said. ' Well,
such things have happened to better folk, and a father's wish
is to a maid what the wind is to the grass. Still, the sun is
behind the cloud and it will shine again some day. Till then,
Eric, fare thee well ! '
' It is not thy will, lord,' said Eric, ' that I should come to
thy Yule-feast as thou hast asked me these ten years gone ? '
Now Asmund grew wroth, and pointed with his hand to-
wards the great Golden Falls that thunder down the mountain
named Stonefell that is behind Middalhof, and there are no
greater water-falls in Iceland.
' A man may take two roads, Eric, from Coldback to
Middalhof, one by the bridle-path over Coldback and the other
down Golden Falls ; but I never knew traveller to choose this
way. Now, I bid thee to my feast by the path over Golden Falls ;
and, if thou comest that way, I promise thee this : if thou livest
I will greet thee well, and if I find thee dead in the great pool I
will bind on thy Hell-shoes and lay thee to earth neighbourly
fashion. But if thou comest by any other path, then my thralls
shall cut thee down at my door.' And he stroked his beard
and laughed.
Now Asmund spoke thus mockingly because he did not
think it possible that any man should try the path of the Golden
Falls.
Eric smiled and said, ' I hold thee to thy word, lord ; per-
haps I shall be thy guest at Yule.'
But Gudruda heard the thunder of the mighty Falls as the
wind turned, and cried ' Nay, nay — it were thy death ! '
Then Eric finds his horse and rides away across the
Now it must be told of Roll the Half-witted that at length
he came to Swinefell in the north, having journeyed hard across
the snow. Here Ospakar Blacktooth had his great hall, in
which day by day a hundred men sat down to meat. Now
Koll entered the hall when Ospakar was at supper, and looked
at him with big eyes, for he had never seen so wonderful a
He was huge in stature — his hair was black, and black
26 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
his beard, and on his lower lip there lay a great black fang.
His eyes were small and narrow, but his cheekbones were set
wide apart and high, like those of a horse. Koll thought him
an ill man to deal with and half a troll,1 and grew afraid of his
errand, since in Roll's half-wittedness there was much cunning
for it was a cloak in which he wrapped himself. J>ut
as Ospakar sat in the high seat, clothed in a purple robe, with
his sword Whitefire on his knee, he saw Koll, and called
out in a great voice :
' Who is this red fox that creeps into my earth ? '
For, to look at, Koll was very like a fox.
' My name is Koll the Half-witted, Groa's thrall, lord.
Am I welcome here ? ' he answered.
' That is as it may be. Why do they call thee half-witted ? '
' Because I love not work overmuch, lord.'
1 Then all my thralls are fellow to thee. Say, what brings
thee here ? '
' This, lord. It was told among men down in the south that
thou wouldst give a good gift to him who should discover to
thee the fairest maid in Iceland. So I asked leave of my
mistress to come on a journey and tell thee of her.'
' Then a lie was told thee. Still, I love to hear of fair
maids, and seek one for a wife if she be but fair enough. So
speak on, Koll the Fox, and lie not to me, I warn thee, else
I will knock what wits are left there from that red head of
thine.'
So Koll took up the tale and greatly bepraised Gudruda's
beauty ; nor in truth, for all his talk, could he praise it too
much. He told of her dark eyes and the whiteness of her skin,
of the nobleness of her shape and the gold of her hair, of her
wit and gentleness, till at length Ospakar grew afire to see
this flower of maids.
'By Thor, thou Koll,' he said, < if the girl be but half of
what thou sayest, her luck is good, for she shall be wife to
Ospakar. But if thou hast lied to me about her, beware ! for
soon there shall be a knave the less in Iceland.'
Now a man rose in the hall and said that Koll spoke truth, for
1 An able-bodied Goblin.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 27
he had seen Gudruda the Fair, Asmund's daughter, and there
was no maid like her in Iceland.
' I will do this now,' said Blacktooth. ' To-morrow 1 will
send a messenger to Middalhof, saying to Asmund the Priest
that I purpose to visit him at the time of the Yule-feast ; then
I shall see if the girl pleases me. Meanwhile, Koll, take thou
a seat among the thralls, and here is something for thy pains,'
and he took off the purple cloak and threw it to him.
' Thanks to thee, Gold-scatterer,' said Koll. ' It is wise to
go soon to Middalhof, for such a bloom as this maid does not
lack a bee. There is a youngling in the south, named Eric
Brighteyes, who loves Gudruda, and she, I think, loves him,
though he is but a yeoman of small wealth and is only twenty-
five years old.'
* Ho ! ho ! ' laughed great Ospakar, ' and I am forty-five.
But let not this suckling cross my desire, lest men call him
Eric Hollo weyes ! '
Now the messenger of Ospakar came to Middalhof, and his
words pleased Asmund and he made ready a great feast.
And Swanhild smiled, but Gudruda was afraid.
28 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER IV
HOW ERIC CAME DOWN GOLDEN FALLS
NOW Ospakar rode up to Middalhof on the day be-
fore the Yule-feast. He was splendidly apparelled,
and with him came his two sons, Gizur the Law-
man and Mord, young men of promise, and many
armed thralls and servants. Gudruda, watching at
the women's door, saw his face in the moonlight and loathed
him.
' What thinkest thou of him who comes to seek thee
in marriage, foster-sister ? ' asked Swanhild, watching at her
side.
' I think he is like a troll, and that, seek as he will, he
shall not find me. I had rather lie in the pool beneath
Golden Falls than in Ospakar 's hall.'
' That shall be proved,' said Swanhild. * At the least he
is rich and noble, and the greatest of men in size. It would
go hard with Eric were those arms about him.'
' I am not so sure of that,' said Gudruda ; ' but it is not
likely to be known.'
' Comes Eric to the feast by the road of Golden Falls,
Gudruda ? '
' Nay, no man may try that path and live.'
' Then he will die, for Eric will risk it.'
Now Gudruda thought, and a great fire burned in her
heart and shone through her eyes. ' If Eric dies,' she said,
' on thee be his blood, Swanhild— on thee and that dark mother
of thine, for ye have plotted to bring this evil on us. How
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
29
Kol,
;
have I harmed thee
that thoushouldst deal
thus with me '? '
Swanhild turned
white and wicked -
looking, for passion
mastered her, and she
gazed into Gudruda's
face and answered :
1 How hast thou
harmed me ? Surely
I will tell thee. Thy
beauty has robbed me
of Eric's love.'
* It would be better
to prate of Eric's love
when he had told it
thee, Swanhild.'
* Thou hast robbed
me and therefore I
hate thee, and there-
fore I will deliver thee
to Ospakar, whom
thou dost loath— ay
and yet win Bright-
eyes to myself. Am
I not also fair and can
I not also love, and
shall I see thee snatch
my j oy ? By the Gods,
never ! I will see thee
ead, and Eric with
ee, ere it shall be so !
ut first I will see thee
shamed ! '
' Thy words are ill-
ited to a maiden's
lips, Swanhild ! But of this be sure : I fear thee not, and shall
GOLDEN FALLS.
30 ERIC BR1GHTEYES
never fear thee. And one thing I know well that, whether thou
or I prevail, in the end thou shalt harvest the greatest shame,
and in times to come men shall speak of thee with hatred and
name thee by ill names. Moreover, Eric shall never love
thee ; from year to year he shall hate thee with a deeper hate,
though it may well be that thou wilt bring ruin on him. And
now I thank thee that thou hast told me all thy mind, show-
ing me what indeed thou art ! ' And Gudruda turned scornfully
upon her heel and walked away.
Now Asmund the Priest went out into the courtyard, and
meeting Ospakar Blacktooth, greeted him heartily, though he
did not like his looks, and took him by the hand and led him
to the hall, that was bravely decked with tapestries, and seated
him by his side on the high seat. And Ospakar's thralls
brought good gifts for Asmund, who thanked the giver well.
Now it was supper time, and Gudruda came in, and after
her walked Swanhild. Ospakar gazed hard at Gudruda and a
great desire entered into him to make her his wife. But she
passed coldly by, nor looked on him at all.
' This, then, is that maid of thine of whom I have heard
tell, Asmund ? I will say this : fairer was never born of
woman.'
Then men ate and Ospakar drank much ale, but all the
while he stared at Gudruda and listened for her voice. But
as yet he said nothing of what he came to seek, though all
knew his errand. And his two sons, Gizur and Mord, stared
also at Gudruda, for they thought her most wonderfully fair.
But Gizur found Swanhild also fair.
And so the night wore on till it was time to sleep.
On this same day Eric rode up from his farm on Ban
River and took his road along the brow of Coldback till he
came to Stonefell. Now all along Coldback and Stonefell
is a steep cliff facing to the south, that grows ever higher till
it comes to that point where Golden River falls over it and,
parting its waters below, runs east and west — the branch to
the east being called Ran River and that to the west Laxa —
for these two streams girdle round the rich plain of Middalhof,
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 31
bill at length they reach the sea. But in the midst of Golden
River, on the edge of the cliff, a mass of rock juts up called
Sheep-saddle, dividing the waters of the fall, and over this the
spray flies, and in winter the ice gathers, but the river does not
cover it. The great fall is thirty fathoms deep, and shaped like a
horseshoe, of which the points lie towards Middalhof. Yet if he
could but gain the Sheep -saddle rock that divides the midst of
the waters, a strong and hardy man might climb down some
fifteen fathoms of this depth and scarcely wet his feet.
Now here at the foot of Sheep- saddle rock the double
arches of waters meet, and fall in one torrent into the bottom-
less pool below. But, some three fathoms from this point of
the meeting waters, and beneath it, just where the curve is
deepest, a single crag, as large as a drinking-table and no
larger, juts through the foam, and, if a man could reach
it, he might leap from it some twelve fathoms, sheer into the
spray-hidden pit beneath, there to sink or swim as it might
befall. This crag is called Wolf's Fang.
Now Eric stood for a long while on the edge of the fall
and looked, measuring every thing with his eye. Then he
went up above, where the river swirls down to the precipice,
and looked again, for it is from this bank that the dividing
island-rock Sheep- saddle must be reached.
' A man may hardly do this thing ; yet I will try it,' he said
to himself at last. ' My honour shall be great for the feat, if I
chance to live, and if I die — well, there is an end of troubling
after maids and all other things.'
So he went home and sat silent that evening. Now, since
Thorgriinur Iron-Toe's death, his housewife, Saevuna, Eric's
moth or, had grown dim of sight, and, though she peered and
peered again from her seat in the ingle nook, she could not see
K'ace of her son.
What ails thee, Eric, that thou sittest so silent ? Was
the meat, then, to thy mind at supper ? '
;' Yes, mother, the meat was well enough, though a little
inder smoked.'
' Now I see that thou art not thyself, son, for thou hadst
10 meat, but only stock-fish - and I never knew a man forget
I
32 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
his supper on the night of its eating, except he was distraughl
or deep in love.'
' Was it so ? ' said Brighteyes.
' What troubles thee, Eric ?— that sweet lass yonder ? '
' Ay, somewhat, mother.'
' What more, then ? '
' This, that I go down Golden Falls to-morrow, and I do noi
know how I may come from Sheep-saddle rock to Wolf's Faii£
crag and keep my life whole in me ; and now, I pray thee
weary me not with words, for my brain is slow, and I mus
use it.'
When she heard this Saevuna screamed aloud, and threv
herself before Eric, praying him to forego his mad venture
But he would not listen to her, for he was slow to make uj
his mind, but, that being made up, nothing could change it
Then, when she learned that it was to get sight of Gudrud*
that he purposed thus to throw his life away, she was verj
angry and cursed her and all her kith and kin.
' It is likely enough that thou wilt have cause to use sucl
words before all this tale is told,' said Eric; 'nevertheless
mother, forbear to curse Gudruda, who is in no way to blara<
for these matters.'
' Thou art a faithless son,' Saevuna said, ' who wilt sla^
thyself striving to win speech with thy May, and leave thj
mother childless.'
Eric said that it seemed so indeed, but he was plighted t<
it and the feat must be tried. Then he kissed her, and sh<
sought her bed, weeping.
Now it was the day of the Yule-feast, and there was no sui
till one hour before noon. But Eric, having kissed his mothe:
and bidden her farewell, called a thrall, Jon by name, am
giving him a sealskin bag full of his best apparel, bade hin
ride to Middalhof and tell Asmund the Priest that Eri<
Brighteyes would come down Golden Falls an hour after mid
day, to join his feast ; and thence go to the foot of the Golder
Falls, to await him there. And the man went, wondering, fo]
he thought his master mad.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 33
Then Eric took a good rope and a staff tipped with iron,
and, so soon as the light served, mounted his horse, forded Ran
River, and rode along Coldback till he came to the lip of Golden
Falls. Here he stayed a while till at length he saw many
people streaming up the snow from Middalhof far beneath, and,
among them, two women who by their stature should be Gud-
ruda and Swanhild, and, near to them, a great man whom he
did not know. Then he showed himself for a space on the
brink of the gulf and turned his horse up stream. The sun
shone bright upon the edge of the sky, but the frost bit like a
sword. Still, he must strip off his garments, so that nothing
remained on him except his sheepskin shoes, shirt and hose, and
take the water. Now here the river runs mightily, and he
must cross full thirty fathoms of the swirling water before he
can reach Sheep-saddle, and woe to him if his foot slip on the
boulders, for certainly he must be swept over the brink.
Eric rested the staff against the stony bottom and, leaning
his weight on it, took the stream, and he was so strong that
it could not prevail against him till at length he was rather
more than half-way across and the water swept above his
shoulders. Now he was lifted from his feet and, letting the
staff float, he swam for his life, and with such mighty strokes
that he felt little of that icy cold. Down he was swept — now
the lip of the fall was but three fathoms 'away on his left,
and already the green water boiled beneath him. A fathom
from him was the corner of Sheep-saddle. If he may grasp
Kis well ; if not, he dies,
bree great strokes and he held it. His feet were swept
>ver the brink of the fall, but he clung on grimly, and
by the strength of his arms drew himself on to the rock and
rested a while. Presently he stood up, for the cold began to nip
him, and the people below became aware that he had swum the
river above the fall and raised a shout, for the deed was great.
Now Eric must begin to clamber down Sheep -saddle, and this
was no easy task, for the rock is almost sheer, and slippery
with ice, and on either side the waters rushed and thundered,
throwing their blinding spray about him as they leapt to
| the depths beneath. He looked down, studying the rock ;
i
34 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
then, feeling that he grew afraid, made an end of doubt and,
grasping a point with both hands, swung himself down his
own length and more. Now for many minutes he climbed
down Sheep-saddle, and the task was hard, for he was be-
wildered with the booming of the waters that bent out on either
side of him like the arc of a bow, and the rock was very steep
and slippery. Still, he came down all those fifteen fathoms
and fell not, though twice he was near to falling, and the
watchers below marvelled greatly at his hardihood.
1 He will be dashed to pieces where the waters meet,' said
Ospakar, ' he can never gain Wolf's Fang crag beneath ; and,
if so it be that he come there and leaps to the pool, the weight
of water will drive him down and drown him.1
' It is certainly so,' quoth Asmund. ' and it grieves me
much ; for it was my jest that drove him to this perilous
adventure, and we cannot spare such a man as Eric Brighteyes.'
Now Swanhild turned white as death ; but Gudruda said :
1 If great heart and strength and skill may avail at all, then
Eric shall come safely down the waters.'
' Thou fool ! ' whispered Swanhild in her ear, ' how can
these help him ? No troll could live in yonder cauldron.
Dead is Eric, and thou art the bait that lured him to his
death ! '
' Spare thy words,' she answered ; ' as the Noras have
ordered so it shall be.'
Now Eric stood at the foot of Sheep -saddle, and within
an arm's length the mighty waters met, tossing their yellow
waves and seething furiously as they leapt to the mist-hid
gulf beneath. He bent over and looked through the spray.
Three fathoms under him the rock Wolf's Fang split the
waters, and thence, if he can come thither, he may leap sheer
into the pool below. Now he unwound the rope that was
about his middle, and made one end fast to a knob of rock —
and this was difficult, for his hands were stiff with cold — and
the other end he passed through his leathern girdle. Then Eric
looked again, and his heart sank within him. How might he
give himself to this boiling flood and not be shattered ? But
as he looked, lo ! a rainbow grew upon the face of the water,
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
35
ERIC ON SHEEr-SADDLE ROCK.
me end of it lit upon him, and the other, like a glory from
the Gods, fell full upon Gudruda as she stood a little way
I apart, watching at the foot of Golden Falls.
' Seest thou that,' said Asmund to Groa, who was at his
D2
36 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
side, ' the Gods build their Bifrost bridge between these two.
Who now shall keep them asunder ? '
1 Bead the portent thus,' she answered : ' they shall be
united, but not here. Yon is a Spirit bridge, and, see : the
waters of Death foam and fall between them ! '
Eric, too, saw the omen and it seemed good to him,
and all fear left his heart. Round about him the waters
thundered, but amidst their roar he dreamed that he heard a
voice calling :
* Be of good cheer, Eric Brighteyes ; for thou shalt live to
do mightier deeds than this, and in guerdon thou shalt win
Gudruda.'
So he paused no longer, but, shortening up the rope, pulled
on it with all his strength, and then leapt out upon the arch
of waters. They struck him and he was dashed out like a
stone from a sling ; again he fell against them and again was
dashed away, so that his girdle burst. Eric felt it go and clung
wildly to the rope and lo ! with the inward swing, he fell on
Wolf's Fang, where never a man has stood before and never a
man shall stand again. Eric lay a little while on the rock till
his breath came back to him, and he listened to the roar of
the waters. Then, rising on his hands and knees, he crept to
its point, for he could scarcely stand because of the trembling
of the stone beneath the shock of the fall ; and when the
people below saw that he was not dead, they raised a great
shout, and the sound of their voices came to him through the
noise of the waters.
Now, twelve fathoms beneath him was the surface of the
pool ; but he could not see it because of the wreaths of spray.
Nevertheless, he must leap and that swiftly, for he grew cold.
So of a sudden Eric stood up to his full height, and, with a loud
cry and a mighty spring, bounded out from the point of Wolf's
Fang far into the air, beyond the reach of the falling flood, and
rushed headlong towards the gulf beneath. Now all men watch-
ing held their breath as his body travelled, and so great is the
place and so high the leap that through the mist Eric seemed
but as a big white stone hurled down the face of the arching
waters.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 37
He was gone, and the watchers rushed down to the foot of
the pool, for there, if he rose at all, he must pass to the
shallows. Swanhild could look no more, but sank upon the
ground. The face of Gudruda was set like a stone with doubt
and anguish. Ospakar saw and read the meaning, and he
said to himself: 'Now Odin grant that this youngling rise
not again ! for the maid loves him dearly, and he is too much
a man to be lightly swept aside.'
Eric struck the pool. Down he sank, and down and down
— for the water falling from so far must almost reach the
bottom of the pool before it can rise again — and he with it.
Now he touched the bottom, but very gently, and slowly began
to rise, and, as he rose, was carried along by the stream. But
it was long before he could breathe, and it seemed to him that
his* lungs would burst. Still, he struggled up, striking great
strokes with his legs.
1 Farewell to Eric,' said Asmund, ' he will rise no more
now.'
But just as he spoke Gudruda pointed to something that
gleamed, white and golden, beneath the surface of the current,
and lo ! the bright hair of Eric rose from the water, and he
drew a great breath, shaking his head like a seal, and, though
but feebly, struck out for the shallows that are at the foot of
the pool. Now he found footing, but was swept over by the
fierce current, and cut his forehead, and he carried that scar
till his death. Again he rose, and with a rush gained the
Ku""ik unaided and fell upon the snow.
Now people gathered about him in silence and wondering,
none had known so great a deed. And presently Eric
o I ici led his eyes and looked up, and found the eyes of Gudruda
fixed on his, and there was that in them which made him
he had dared the path of Golden Falls.
ERIC BR1GHTEYES
CHAPTER V
HOW ERIC WON THE SWOED WHITEFIEE
OW Asmund the priest bent down,
and Eric saw him and spoke :
' Thou badest me to thy
Yule-feast, lord, by yonder slip-
pery road and I have come. Dost
thou welcome me well ? '
* No man better,' quoth As-
mund. * Thou art a gallant man,
though foolhardy ; and thou hast
done a deed that shall be told of
while skalds sing and men live
in Iceland.'
'Make place, my father,' said
Gudruda, * for Eric bleeds.' And
she loosed the kerchief from her
neck and bound it about his
wounded brow, and, taking the
rich cloak from her body, threw it on his shoulders, and no
man said her nay.
Then they led him to the hall, where Eric clothed him-
self and rested, and he sent back the thrall Jon to Cold-
back, bidding him tell Saevuna, Eric's mother, that he was
safe. But he was somewhat weak all that day, and the sound
of waters roared in his ears.
Now Ospakar and Groa were ill pleased at the turn things
had taken ; but all the others rejoiced much, for Eric was well
loved of men and they had grieved if the waters had prevailed
THE WRESTLING SHOES.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 39
against his might. But Swanhild brooded bitterly, for Eric
never turned to look on her.
The hour of the feast drew on and, according to custom,
it was held in the Temple, and thither went all men. When
they were seated in the nave of the Hof, the fat ox that had
been made ready for sacrifice was led in and dragged before the
altar on which the holy fire burned. Now Asmund the Priest
slew it, amid silence, before the figures of the Gods, and, catching
its blood in the blood-bowl, sprinkled the altar and all the
worshippers with the blood- twigs. Then the ox was cut up,
and the figures of the almighty Gods were anointed with its
molten fat and wiped with fair linen. Next the flesh was
boiled in the cauldrons that were hung over fires lighted all
down the nave, and the feast began.
Now men ate, and drank much ale and mead, and all were
merry. But Ospakar Blacktooth grew not glad, though he
drank much, for he saw that the eyes of Gudruda ever watched
Eric's face and that they smiled on each other. He was wroth at
this, for he knew that the bait must be good and the line strong
that should win this fair fish to his angle, and as he sat, un-
knowingly his fingers loosed the peace- strings of his sword
Whitefire, and he half drew it, so that its brightness flamed in
the firelight.
* Thou hast a wondrous blade there, Ospakar! ' said Asmund,
* though this is no place to draw it. Whence came it ? Me-
thinks no such swords are fashioned now.'
' Ay, Asmund, a wondrous blade indeed. There is no other
such in the world, for the dwarfs forged it of old, and he shall
be unconquered who holds it aloft. This was King Odin's
sword, and it is named Whitefire. Ralph the Bed took it from
King Eric's cairn in Norway, and he strove long with the
Barrow-Dweller1 before he wrenched it from his grasp. But
my father won it and slew Ralph, though he had never done
this had Whitefire been aloft against him. But Ralph the
Red, being in drink when the ships met in battle, fought with an
axe, and was slain by my father, and since then Whitefire has
The ghost in the cairn.
40 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
been the last light that many a chiefs eyes have seen. Look
at it, Asmund.'
Now he drew the great sword, and men were astonished as
it flashed aloft. Its hilt was of gold, and blue stones were
set therein. It measured two ells and a half from cross-
bar to point, and so bright was the broad blade that no
one could look on it for long, and all down its length ran
runes.
' A wondrous weapon, truly ! ' said Asmund. * How read the
runes ? '
' I know not, nor any man — they are ancient.'
'Let me look at them,' said Groa, 'I am skilled in runes.'
Now she took the sword, and heaved it up, and looked at the
runes and said, ' A strange writing truly.'
' How runs it, housekeeper ? ' said Asmund.
' Thus, lord, if my skill is not at fault :—
Whitefire is my name— Dwarf-folk forged me —
Odin's sword was I — Eric's sword was I — Eric's sword shall I be —
And where I fall there he must follow me.'
Now Gudruda looked at Eric Brighteyes wonderingly, and
Ospakar saw it and became very angry.
'Look not so, maiden,' he said, ' for it shall be another Eric
than yon flapper-duck who holds Whitefire aloft, though it
may well chance that he shall feel its edge.'
Now Gudruda bit her lip, and Eric burned red to the brow
and spoke :
' It is ill, lord, to throw taunts like an angry woman.
Thou art great and strong, yet I may dare a deed with thee.'
' Peace, boy ! Thou canst climb a waterfall well, I gainsay
it not; but beware ere thou settest up thyself against my
strength. Say now, what game wilt thou play with Ospakar ? '
4 I will go on holmgang with thee, byrnie-clad or bare-
sark,1 and fight thee with axe or sword, or I will wrestle with
thee, and Whitefire yonder shall be the winner's prize.'
'Nay, I will have no bloodshed here at Middalhof,' said
1 To a duel, usually fought, in mail or without it, on an island—' holm '
—within a circle of hazel-twigs.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 41
Asmund sternly. 'Make play with fists, or wrestle if ye
will, for that were great sport to see ; but weapons shall not
be drawn.'
Now Ospakar grew mad with anger and drink — and he
grinned like a dog, till men saw the red gums beneath his
lips.
' Thou wilt wrestle with me, youngling — with me, whom no
man has ever so much as lifted from my feet ? Good ! I will
lay thee on thy face and whip thee, and Whitefire shall be the
stake —I swear it on the holy altar-ring ; but what hast thou to
set against the precious sword ? Thy poor hovel and its lot of
land shall be all too little.'
1 1 set my life on it ; if I lose Whitefire let Whitefire slay
me,' said Eric.
' Nay, that I will not have, and I am master here in this
Temple,' said Asmund. * Bethink thee of some other stake,
Ospakar, or let the game be off.'
Now Ospakar gnawed his lip with his black fang and
thought. Then he laughed aloud and spoke :
* Bright is Whitefire and thou art named Brighteyes. See
now : I set the great sword against thy right eye, and, if I win
the match, it shall be mine to tear it out. Wilt thou play
this game with me ? If thy heart fails thee, let it go ; but I
will set no other stake against my good sword.'
4 Eyes and limbs are a poor man's wealth,' said Eric : ' so
be it. I stake my right eye against the sword Whitefire, and
we will try the match to-morrow.'
* And to-morrow night thou shalt be called Eric One-eye,'
Ospakar — at which some few of his thralls laughed.
lut most of the men did not laugh, for they thought this an
bme and a worse jest.
Now the feast went on, and Asmund rose from his high
seat in the centre of the nave, on the left hand looking down
from the altar, and gave out the holy toasts. First men drank
a full horn to Odin, praying for triumph on their foes. Then
they drank to Frey, asking for plenty ; to Thor, for strength in
battle ; to Freya, Goddess of Love (and to her Pjric drank
heartily) ; to the memory of the dead ; and, last of all, to Bragi,
42 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
God of all delight. When this cup was drunk, Asmund rose
again, according to custom, and asked if none had an oath to
swear as to some deed that should be done.
For a while there was no answer, but presently Eric Bright-
eyes stood up.
1 Lord,' he said, ' I would swear an oath.'
' Set forth the matter, then,' said Asmund.
' It is this,' quoth Eric. ' On Mosfell mountain, over by
Hecla, dwells a Baresark of whom all men have ill knowledge,
for there are few whom he has not harmed. His name is
Skallagrim ; he is a mighty man and he has wrought much
mischief in the south country, and brought many to their
deaths and robbed more of their goods : for none can prevail
against him. Still, I swear this, that, when the days lengthen,
I will go up alone against him and challenge him to battle,
and conquer him or fall.'
' Then, thou yellow-headed puppy-dog, thou shalt go with
one eye against a Baresark with two,' growled Ospakar.
Men took no heed of his words, but shouted aloud, for Skal-
lagrim had plagued them long, and there were none who dared
to fight with him any more. Only Gudruda looked askance,
for it seemed to her that Eric swore too fast. Nevertheless he
went up to the altar, and, taking hold of the holy ring, he set
his foot on the holy stone and swore his oath, while the feasters
applauded, striking their cups upon the board.
And after that the feast went merrily, till all men were
drunk, except Asmund and Eric.
Now Eric went to rest, but first he rubbed his limbs with
the fat of seals, for he was still sore with the beating of the
waters, and they must needs be supple on the morrow if he
would keep his eye. Then he slept sound, and rose strong and
well, and going to the stream behind the stead, bathed, and
anointed his limbs afresh. But Ospakar did not sleep well,
because of the ale that he had drunk. Now as Eric came back
from bathing, in the dark of the morning, he met Gudruda,
who watched for his coming, and, there being none to see, he
kissed her often ; but she chided him because of the match
that he had made with Ospakar and the oath that he had sworn.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 43
' Surely/ she said, ' thou wilt lose thine eye, for this
Ospakar is a giant, and strong as a troll ; also he is merciless.
Still, thou art a mighty man, and I shall love thee as well with
one eye as with two. Oh ! Eric, methought I should have
died yesterday when thou didst leap from Wolf's Fang ! My
heart seemed to stop within me.'
1 Yet I came safely to shore, sweetheart, and well does this
kiss pay for all I did. And as for Ospakar, if but once I get
these arms about him, I fear him little, or any man, and I
covet that sword of his greatly. But we can talk more
certainly of these things to-morrow.'
Now Gudruda clung to him and told him all that had be-
fallen, and of the doings and words of Swanhild.
' She honours me beyond my worth,' he said, ' who am in
no way set on her, but on thee only, Gudruda.'
' Art thou so sure of that, Eric ? Swanhild is fair and wise.'
' Ay and evil. When I love Swanhild, then thou mayst
love Ospakar.'
'It is a bargain,' she said, laughing. ' Good luck go with
thee in the wrestling,' and with a kiss she left him, fearing lest
she should be seen.
Eric went back to the hall, and sat down by the centre
hearth, for all men slept, being still heavy with drink, and
presently Swanhild glided up to him, and greeted him.
' Thou art greedy of deeds, Eric,' she said. ' Yesterday
thou earnest here by a path that no man has travelled, to-day
thou dost wrestle with a giant for thine eye, and presently
thou goest up against Skallagrim ! '
' It seems that this is true,' said Eric.
' Now all this thou doest for a woman who is the betrothed
of another man.'
'All this I do for fame's sake, Swanhild. Moreover,
Gudruda is betrothed to none.'
' Before another Yule-feast is spread, Gudruda shall be
the wife of Ospakar.'
* That is yet to be seen, Swanhild.'
Now Swanhild stood silent for a while and then spoke :
1 Thou art a fool, Eric— yes, drunk with folly. Nothing but evil
44 ERIC B RIGHTS YES
shall come to thee from this madness of thine. Forget it and
pluck that which lies to thine hand,' and she looked sweetly
at him.
« They call thee Swanhild the Fatherless,' he answered,
' but I think that Loki, the God of Guile, was thy father, for
there is none to match thee in craft and evil-doing, and in
beauty one only. I know thy plots well and all the sorrow
that thou hast brought upon us. Still, each seeks honour
after his own manner, so seek thou as thou wilt ; but thou
shalt find bitterness and empty days, and thy plots shall come
back on thine own head— yes, even though they bring Gudruda
and me to sorrow and death.'
Swanhild laughed. * A day shall dawn, Eric, when thou
who dost hate me shalt hold me dear, and this I promise thee.
Another thing I promise thee also : that Gudruda shall never
call thee husband.'
But Eric did not answer, fearing lest in his anger he should
say words that were better unspoken.
Now men rose and sat down to meat, and all talked of the
wrestling that should be. But in the morning Ospakar re-
pented of the match, for it is truly said that ale is another
man, and men do not like that in the morning which seemed
well enough on yester eve. He remembered that he held
Whitefire dear above all things, and that Eric's eye had no
worth to him, except that the loss of it would spoil his beauty,
so that perhaps Gudruda would turn from him. It would be
very ill if he should chance to lose the play — though of this
he had no fear, for he was held the strongest man in Iceland
and the most skilled in all feats of strength — and, at the
best, no fame is to be won from the overthrow of a deedless
man, and the plucking out of his eye. Thus it came to pass
that when he saw Eric he called to him in a big voice :
' Hearken, thou Eric.'
'I hear thee, thou Ospakar,' said Eric, mocking him,
and people laughed ; while Ospakar grinned angrily and
said, * Thou must learn manners, puppy. Still, I shall find
no honour in teaching thee in this wise. Last night we made a
match in our cups, and I staked my great sword Whitefire and
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 45
thou thine eye. It would be bad that either of us should lose
sword or eye ; therefore, what sayest thou, shall we let it pass ? '
' Ay, Blacktooth, if thou fearest ; but first pay thou forfeit
of the sword.'
Now Ospakar grew very mad and shouted, ' Thou wilt in-
deed stand against me in the ring ! I will break thy back anon,
youngster, and afterwards tear out thine eye before thou diest.'
' It may so befall,' answered Eric, ' but big words do not
make big deeds.'
Presently the light came and thralls went out with spades
and cleared away the snow in a circle two rods across, and
brought dry sand and sprinkled it on the frozen turf, so that
the wrestlers should not slip. And they piled the snow in a
wall around the ring.
But Groa came up to Ospakar and spoke to him apart.
' Knowest thou, lord,' she said, * that my heart bodes ill of
this match ? Eric is a mighty man, and, great though thou
art, I think that thou shalt lout low before him.'
' It will be a bad business if I am overthrown by an untried
man,' said Ospakar, and was troubled in his mind, ' and it would
be evil moreover to lose the sword. For no price would I
have it so.'
' What wilt thou give me, lord, if I bring thee victory ? '
* I will give thee two hundred in silver.'
' Ask no questions and it shall be so,' said Groa.
Now Eric was without, taking note of the ground in the
ring, and presently Groa called to her the thrall Koll the Half-
d, whom she had sent to Swinefell.
See,' she said, ' yonder by the wall stand the wrestling
of Eric Brighteyes. Haste thee now and take grease, and
rub the soles with it, then hold them in the heat of the fire, so
that the fat sinks in. Do this swiftly and secretly, and I will
thee twenty pennies.'
oil grinned, and did as he was bid, setting back the shoes
as they were before. Scarcely was the deed done when Eric
came in, and made himself ready for the game, binding the
greased shoes upon his feet, for he feared no trick.
Now everybody went out to the ring, and Ospakar and Eric
46 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
stripped for wrestling. They were clad in tight woollen j erkins
and hose, and sheep-skin shoes were on their feet.
They named Asmund master of the game, and his word
must be law to both of them. Eric claimed that Asmund
should hold the sword Whitefire that was at stake, but Ospakar
gainsaid him, saying that if he gave Whitefire into Asmund's
keeping, Eric must also give his eye — and about this they de-
bated hotly. Now the matter was brought before Asmund as
umpire, and he gave judgment for Eric, * for,' he said, 'if Eric
yield up his eye into my hand, I can return it to his head
no more if he should win ; but if Ospakar gives me the good
sword and conquers, it is easy for me to pass it back to
him unharmed.'
Men said that this was a good judgment.
Thus then was the arm-game set. Ospakar and Eric
must wrestle thrice, and between each bout there would be a
space while men could count a thousand. They might strike
no blow at one another with hand, or head, or elbow, foot
or knee ; and it should be counted no fall if the haunch and
the head of the fallen were not on the ground at the self- same
time. He who suffered two falls should be adjudged con-
quered and lose his stake.
Asmund called these rules aloud in the presence of wit-
nesses, and Ospakar and Eric said that should bind them.
Ospakar drew a small knife and gave it to his son Gizur
to hold.
' Thou shalt soon know, youngling, how steel tastes in the
eyeball,' he said.
' We shall soon know many things,' Eric answered.
Now they threw off their cloaks and stood in the ring.
Ospakar was great beyond the bigness of men and his arms
were clothed with black hair like the limbs of a goat. Beneath
the shoulder joint they were almost as thick as a girl's thigh.
His legs also were mighty, and the muscles stood out upon him
in knotty lumps. He seemed a very giant, and fierce as a Bare-
sark, but still somewhat round about the body and heavy in
movement.
From him men looked at Eric.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 47
' Lo ! Baldur and the Troll ! ' said Swanhild, and every-
body laughed, since so it was indeed; for, if Ospakar was
black and hideous as a troll, Eric was beautiful as Baldur, the
loveliest of the Gods. He was taller than Ospakar by the half
of a hand and as broad in the chest. Still, he was not yet
come to his greatest strength, and, though his limbs we re well
knit, they seemed but as a child's against the limbs of Ospakar.
But he was quick as a cat and lithe, his neck and arms were
white as whey, and beneath his golden hair his bright eyes
shone like spears.
Now they stood face to face, with arms outstretched, waiting
the word of Asmund. He gave it and they circled round each
other with arms held low. Presently Ospakar made a rush
and, seizing Eric about the middle, tried to lift him, but with no
avail. Thrice he strove and failed, then Eric moved his foot
and lo ! it slipped upon the sanded turf. Again Eric moved
and again he slipped, a third time and he slipped a third time,
and before he could recover himself he was full on his back
and fairly thrown.
Gudruda saw and was sad at heart, and those around her
said that it was easy to know how the game would end.
1 What said I ? ' quoth Swanhild, ' that it would go badly
with Eric were Ospakar's arms about him.'
' All is not done yet,' answered Gudruda. * Methinks Eric's
slipped most strangely, as though he stood on ice.'
ut Eric was very sore at heart and could make nothing of
matter — for he was not overthrown by strength.
He sat on the snow and Ospakar and his sons mocked him.
But Gudruda drew near and whispered to him to be of good
cheer, for fortune might yet change.
' I think that I am bewitched,' said Eric sadly : ' my feet
have no hold of the ground.'
Gudruda covered her eyes with her hand and thought.
Presently she looked up quickly. * I seem to see guile here,'
I she said. * Now look narrowly on thy shoes.'
He heard, and, loosening his shoe-string, drew a shoe from
his foot and looked at the sole. The cold of the snow had
•dened the fat, and there it was, all white upon the leather.
48 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Now Eric rose in wrath. * Methought,' he cried, ' that
I dealt with men of honourable mind, not with cheating trick-
sters. See now ! it is little wonder that I slipped, for grease
has been set upon my shoes— and, by Thor ! I will cleave 'the
man who did it to the chin,' and as he said it his eyes blazed
so dreadfully that folk fell back from him. Asmund took the
shoes and looked at them. Then he spoke :
1 Brighteyes tells the truth, and we have a sorry knave
among us. Ospakar, canst thou clear thyself of this ill deed ? '
4 I will swear on the holy ring that I know nothing of it,
and if any man in my company has had a hand therein he
shall die,' said Ospakar.
' That we will swear also,' cried his sons Gizur and Mord.
' This is more like a woman's work,' said Gudruda, and she
looked at Swanhild.
' It is no work of mine,' quoth Swanhild.
' Then go and ask thy mother of it,' answered Gudruda.
Now all men cried aloud that this was the greatest shame,
and that the match must be set afresh ; only Ospakar bethought
him of that two hundred in silver which he had promised to
Groa, and looked around, but she was not there. Still, he
gainsaid Eric in the matter of the match being set afresh.
Then Eric cried out in his anger that he would let the
game stand as it was, since Ospakar swore himself free of the
shameful deed. Men thought this a mad saying, but Asmund
said it should be so. Still, he swore in his keart that, even if
he were worsted, Eric should not lose his eye — no not if
swords were held aloft to take it. For of all tricks this seemed
to him the very worst.
Now Ospakar and Eric faced each other again in the
ring, but this time the feet of Eric were bare.
Ospakar rushed to get the upper hold, but Erie was too
swift for him and sprang aside. Again he rushed, but Eric
dropped and gripped him round the middle. Now they were
face to face, hugging each other like bears, but moving little.
For a time things went thus, while Ospakar strove to lift
Eric, but in nowise could he stir him. Then of a sudden Eric
put out his strength, and they staggered round the ring, tear-
ing at each other till their jerkins were rent from them, leaving
:
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 49
them almost bare to the waist. Suddenly, Eric seemed to LUVC,
and Ospakar put out his foot to trip him. But Br.ighu.-yis
was watching. He caught the foot in the crook of his left k-g,
and threw his weight forward on the chest of Blacktooth.
Backward he went, falling with the thud of a tree on snow, and
there he lay on the ground, and Eric over him.
Then men shouted ' A fall ! a fair fall ! ' and were very
glad, for the fight seemed most uneven to them, and the
wrestlers rolled asunder, breathing heavily.
Gudruda threw a cloak over Eric's naked shoulders.
' That was well done, Brighteyes,' she said.
1 The game is still to play, sweet,' he gasped, ' and
Ospakar is a mighty man. I threw him by skill, not by
strength. Next time it must be by strength or not at all.'
Now breathing- time was done, and once more the two
were face to face. Thrice Ospakar rushed, and thrice did
Eric slip away, for he would waste Blacktooth's strength.
Again Ospakar rushed, roaring like a bear, and fire seemed to
come from his eyes, and the steam went up from him and
hung upon the frosty air like the steam of a horse. This
time Eric could not get away, but was swept up into that
great grip, for Ospakar had the lower hold.
' Now there is an end of Eric,' said Swanhild.
' The arrow is yet on the bow,' answered Gudruda.
Blacktooth put out his might and reeled round and round
the ring, dragging Eric with him. This way and that he
twisted, and time on time Eric's leg was lifted from the
ground, but so he might not be thrown. Now they stood
almost still, while men shouted madly, for no such wrestling
had been known in the southlands. Grimly they hugged and
strove : forsooth it was a mighty sight to see. Grimly they
hugged, and their muscles strained and cracked, but they could
stir each other no inch.
Ospakar grew fearful, for he could make no play with this
oungling. Black rage swelled in his heart. He ground his
fangs, and thought on guile. By his foot gleamed the naked
foot of Eric. Suddenly he stamped on it so fiercely that the
kin burst.
50 ERIC BRIG HTE YES
< 111 done ! ill done ! ' folk cried ; but in his pain Eric
moved his foot.
Lo ! he was down, but not altogether down, for he did but
sit upon his haunches, and still he clung to Blacktooth's
thighs, and twined his legs about his ankles. Now with all
his strength Ospakar strove to force the head of Brighteyes
to the ground, but still he could not, for Eric clung to him
like a creeper to a tree.
'A losing game for Eric,' said Asmund, and as he spoke
Brighteyes was pressed back till his yellow hair almost swept
the sand.
Then the folk of Ospakar shouted in triumph, but Gudruda
cried aloud :
' Be not overthrown, Eric ; loose thee and spring aside.'
Eric heard, and of a sudden loosed all his grip. He fell
on his outspread hand, then, with a swing sideways and a
bound, once more he stood upon his feet. Ospakar came at him
like a bull made mad with goading, but he could no longer
roar aloud. They closed and this time Eric had the better
hold. For a while they struggled round and round till their
feet tore the frozen turf, then once more they stood face to
face. Now the two were almost spent ; yet Blacktooth gathered
up his strength and swung Eric from his feet, but he found
them again. He grew mad with rage, and hugged him till
Brighteyes was nearly pressed to death, and black bruises
sprang upon the whiteness of his flesh. Ospakar grew mad,
and madder yet, till at length in his fury he fixed his fangs in
Eric's shoulder and bit till the blood spurted.
' 111 kissed, thou rat ! ' gasped Eric, and with the pain and
rush of blood, his strength came back to him. He shifted his
grip swiftly, now his right hand was beneath the fork of Black-
tooth's thigh and his left on the hollow of Blacktooth's back.
Twice he lifted— twice the bulk of Ospakar rose from the ground
— "a third mighty lift — so mighty that the wrapping on Eric's
forehead burst, and the blood streamed down his face— and lo !
great Blacktooth flew in air. Up he flew, and backward he fell
into the bank of snow, and was buried there almost to the knees,
'A mighty lift
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER VI
HOW ASMUND THE PRIEST WAS BETROTHED TO UNNA
a moment there was silence, for all that company was
wonderstruck at the greatness of the deed. Then they cheered
and cheered again, and to Eric it seemed that he slept, and
the sound of shouting reached him but faintly, as though he
heard through snow. Suddenly he woke and saw a man rush
at him with axe aloft. It was Mord, Ospakar's son, mad at his
father's overthrow. Eric sprang aside, or the blow had been
his bane, and, as he sprang, smote with his fist, and it struck
heavily on the head of Mord above the ear, so that the axe
flew from his hand, and he fell senseless on his father in the
snow.
Now swords flashed out, and men ringed round Eric to guard
him, and it came near to the spilling of blood, for the people
of Ospakar gnashed their teeth to see so great a hero over-
thrown by a youngling, while the southern folk of Middalhof
and Ran River rejoiced loudly, for Eric was dear to their
hearts.
* Down swords,' cried Asmund the priest, 'and haul yon
carcass from the snow.'
This then they did, and Ospakar sat up, breathing in great
gasps, the blood running from his mouth and ears, and he
was an evil sight to see, for what with blood and snow and rage
his face was like the face of the Swinefell Goblin.
But Swanhild spoke in the ear of Gudruda :
* Here,' she said, looking at Eric, ' we two have a man
Ih loving, foster-sister.'
Ay,' answered Gudruda, ' worth and well worth ! '
.,
52 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Now Asmund drew near and before all men kissed Eric
Brighteyes on the brow.
' In sooth,' he said, ' thou art a mighty man, Eric, and
the glory of the south. This I prophesy of thee : that thou
shalt do deeds such as have not been done in Iceland. Thou
hast been ill served, for a knave unknown greased thy
shoes. Yon swarthy Ospakar, the most mighty of all men in
Iceland, could not overthrow thee, though, like a wolf, he
fastened his fangs in thee, and, like a coward, stamped upon
thy naked foot. Take thou the great sword that thou hast won
and wear it worthily.'
Now Eric took snow and wiped the blood from his brow.
Then he grasped Whitefire and drew it from the scabbard,
and high aloft flashed the war-blade. Thrice he wheeled it
round his head, then sang aloud :
Fast, yestermorn, down Golden Falls,
Fared young Eric to thy feast,
Asmund, father of Gudruda —
Maid whom much he longs to clasp.
But to-day on Giant Blacktooth
Hath he done a needful deed :
Hurling him in heaped -up snowdrift ;
Winning Whitefire for his wage.
And again he sang :
Lord, if in very truth thou thinkest
Brighteyes is a man midst men,
Swear to him, the stalwart suitor,
Handsel of thy sweet maid's hand :
Whom, long loved, to win, down Goldfoss
Swift he sped through frost and foam ;
Whom to win, to troll-like Ogre,
He, 'gainst Whitefire, waged his eye.
Men thought this well sung, and turned to hear Asniund's
answer, nor must they wait long.
' Eric,' he said, 'I will promise thee this, that if thou goest
on as thou hast begun, I will give Gudruda in marriage to no
other man.'
' That is good tidings, lord,' said Eric.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 53
* This I say further : in a year I will give thee full answer
according as to how thou dost bear thyself between now
and then, for this is no light gift thou askest ; also that, if ye
will it, you twain may now plight troth, for the blame shall be
yours if it is broken, and not mine, and I give thee my hand
on it.'
Eric took his hand, and Gudruda heard her father's words
and happiness shone in her dark eyes, and she grew faint for
very joy. And now Eric turned to her, all torn and bloody
from the fray, the great sword in his hand, and he spoke
thus :
' Thou hast heard thy father's words, Gudruda ? Now it
seems that there is no great need of troth -plighting between us
two. Still, here before all men I ask thee, if thou dost love me
and art willing to take me to husband ? '
Gudruda looked up into his face, and answered in a sweet,
clear voice that could be heard by all :
'Eric, I say to thee now, what I have said before, that I
love thee alone of men, and, if it be my father's wish, I will
wed no other whilst thou dost remain true to me and hold
me dear.'
' Those are good words,' said Eric. ' Now, in pledge of
them, swear this troth of thine upon my sword that I have
won.'
Gudruda smiled, and, taking great Whitefire in her hand,
she said the words again, and, in pledge of them, kissed the
bright blade.
Then Eric took back the war- sword and spoke thus : ' I
swear that I will love thee, and thee only, Gudruda the Fair,
Asmund's daughter, whom I have desired all my days ; and, if
I fail of this my oath, then our troth is at an end, and thou
mayst wed whom thou wilt,' and in turn he put his lips upon
the sword, while Swanhild watched them do the oath.
Now Ospakar was recovered from the fight, and he sat
there upon the snow, with bowed head, for he knew well that
he had won the greatest shame, and had lost both wife and
sword. Black rage filled his heart as he listened, and he
sprang to his feet.
54 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 1 came hither, Asmund,' he said, ' to ask this maid of
thine in marriage, and methinks that had been a good match
for her and thee. But I have been overthrown by witchcraft
of this man in a wrestling-bout, and thereby lost my good
word ; and now I must seem to hear him betrothed to the
maid before me.'
' Thou hast heard aright, Ospakar,' said Asmund, ' and
thy wooing is soon sped. Get thee back whence thou earnest
and seek a wife in thine own quarter, for thou art unfit in
age and aspect to have so sweet a maid. Moreover, here in
the south we hold men of small account, however great and
rich they be, who do not shame to seek to overcome a foe
by foul means. With my own eyes I saw thee stamp on the
naked foot of Eric, Thorgrimur's son ; with my own eyes I
saw thee, like a wolf, fasten that black fang of thine upon
him — there is the mark of it ; and, as for the matter of the
greased shoes, thou knowest best what hand thou hadst
in it.'
' I had no hand. If any did this thing, it was Groa the
Witch, thy Finnish bedmate. For the rest, I was mad and
know not what I did. But hearken, Asmund : ill shall
befall thee and thy house, and I will ever be thy foe. More-
over, I will yet wed this maid of thine. And now, thou
Eric, hearken also : I will have another game with thee.
This one was but the sport of boys ; when we meet again —
and the time shall not be long — swords shall be aloft, and
thou shalt learn the play of men. I tell thee that I will slay
thee, and tear Gudruda, shrieking, from thy arms to be my
wife ! I tell thee that, with yonder good sword Whitefire,
I will yet hew off thy head ! '—and he choked and stopped.
' Thou art much foam and little water,' said Eric. * These
things are easily put to proof. If thou wiliest it, to-morrow
I will come with thee to a holmgang, and there we may
set the twigs and finish what we have begun to-day.'
' I cannot do that, for thou hast my sword ; and, till I am
suited with another weapon, I may fight no holmgang. Still,
fear not : we shall soon meet with weapons aloft and byrnie on
breast.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 55
' Never too soon can the hour come, Blacktooth,' said
Eric, and, turning on his heel, he limped to the hall to clothe
himself afresh. On the threshold of the men's door he met
Groa the Witch.
4 Thou didst put grease upon my shoes, caiiine and witch-
hag that thou art,' he said.
' It is not true, Brighteyes.'
' There thou liest, and for all this I will repay thee. Thou
art not yet the wife of Asmund, nor shalt be, for a plan
comes into my head about it.'
Groa looked at him strangely. ' If thou speakest so, take
heed to thy meat and drink,' she said. ' I was not born among
the Finns for nothing ; and know, I am still minded to wed
Asmund. For thy shoes, I would to the Gods that they were
Hell-shoon, and that I was now binding them on thy dead feet.'
* Oh ! the cat begins to spit,' said Eric. ' But know this :
thou mayest grease my shoes — fit work for a carline !—
but thou mayest never bind them on. Thou art a witch, and
wilt come to the end of witches ; and what thy daughter is,
that I will not say,' and he pushed past her and entered the
hall.
Presently Asmund came to seek Eric there, and prayed him
to be gone to his stead on Ran Eiver. The horses of Ospakar
had strayed, and he must stop at Middalhof till they were
found; but, if these two should abide under the same roof,
bloodshed would come of it, and that Asmund knew.
Eric said yea to this, and, when he had rested a while, he
kissed Gudruda, and, taking a horse, rode away to Coldback,
bearing the sword Whitefire with him, and for a time he saw
no more of Ospakar.
When he came there, his mother Saevuna greeted him
as one risen from the dead, and hung about his neck. Then
he told her all that had come to pass, and she thought it a
marvellous story, and sorrowed that Thorgrimur, her husband,
ras not alive to know it. But Eric mused a while, and spoke.
1 Mother,' he said, *now my uncle Thorod of Greenfell
dead, and his daughter, my cousin Unna, has no home,
te is a fair woman and skilled in all things. It comes
56 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
into my mind that we should bid her here to dwell with
us.'
'Why, I thought thou wast betrothed to Gudruda the
Fair,' said Saevuna. ' Wherefore, then, wouldst thou bring
Unna hither ? '
' For this cause,' said Eric : ' because it seems that Asmund
the Priest wearies of Groa the Witch, and would take another
wife, and I wish to draw the bands between us tighter, if it
may befall so.'
' Groa will take it ill,' said Saevuna.
' Things cannot be worse between us than they are now,
therefore I do not fear Groa,' he answered.
« It shall be as thou wilt, son ; to-morrow we will send to
Unna and bid her here, if it pleases her to come.'
Now Ospakar stayed three more days at Middalhof, till his
horses were found, and he was fit to travel, for Eric had shaken
him sorely. But he had no words with Gudruda and few
with Asmund. Still, he saw Swanhild, and she bid him to
be of good cheer, for he should yet have Gudruda. For
now that the maid had passed from him the mind of
Ospakar was set on winning her. Bjorn also, Asmund's
son, spoke words of good comfort to him, for he envied Eric
his great fame, and he thought the match with Blacktooth
would be good. And so at length Ospakar rode away to
Swinefell with all his company ; but Gizur, his son, left his
heart behind.
For Swanhild had not been idle this while. Her heart was
soro, but she must follow her ill-nature, and so she had put
out her woman's strength and beguiled Gizur into loving her.
But she did not love him at all, and the temper of Asmund the
Priest was so angry that Gizur dared not ask her in marriage.
So nothing was said of the matter.
Now Unna came to Coldback,to dwell with Saevuna, Eric's
mother, and she was a fair and buxom woman. She had been
once wedded, but within a month of her marriage her husband
was lost at sea, this two years gone. At first Gudruda was
somowhat jealous of this coming of Unna to Coldback ; but
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 57
Eric showed her what was in his mind, and she fell into the
plan, for she hated and feared Groa greatly, and desired to be
rid of her.
Since this matter of the greasing of Eric's wrestling- shoes
great loathing of Groa had come into Asmund's mind, and
he bethought him often of those words that his wife Gudruda
the Gentle spoke as she lay dying, and grieved that the oath
which he swore then had in part been broken. He would
have no more to do with Groa now, but he could not be rid of
her ; and, notwithstanding her evil doings, he still loved
Swanhild. But Groa grew thin with spite and rage, and
wandered about the place glaring with her great black eyes,
and people hated her more and more.
Now Asmund went to visit at Coldback, and there he saw
Unna, and was pleased with her, for she was a blithe woman
and a bonny. The end of it was that he asked her in marriage
of Eric ; at which Brighteyes was glad, but said that he must
know Unna's mind. Unna hearkened, and did not say no, for
though Asmund was somewhat gone in years, still he was an
upstanding man, wealthy in lands, goods, and moneys out at
interest, and having many friends. So they plighted troth,
and the wedding-feast was to be in the autumn after hay-
harvest. Now Asmund rode back to Middalhof somewhat
troubled at heart, for these tidings must be told to Groa, and
he feared her and her witchcraft. In the hall he found her,
standing alone.
' Where hast thou been, lord ? ' she asked.
' At Coldback,' he answered.
' To see Unna, Eric's cousin, perchance ? '
' That is so.'
' What is Unna to thee, then, lord ? '
' This much, that after hay-harvest she will be my wife,
id that is ill news for thee, Groa.'
Now Groa turned and grasped fiercely at the air with her
iin hands. Her eyes started out, foam was on her lips,
and she shook in her fury like a birch-tree in the wind, look-
K'ng so evil that Asmund drew back a little way, saying :
' Now a veil is lifted from thee and I see thee as thou art.
58 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Thou hast cast a glamour over me these many years, Groa,
and it is gone.'
' Mayhap, Asmund Asmundson — mayhap thou knowest
me ; but I tell thee that thou shalt see me in a worse guise
before thou weddest Unna. What ! have I borne the greatest
shame, lying by thy side these many years, and shall I live to
see a rival, young and fair, creep into my place with honour ?
That I will not while runes have power and spells can conjure
the evil thing upon thee. I call down ruin on thee and thine
—yea and on Brighteyes also, for he has brought this thing to
pass. Death take ye all ! May thy blood no longer run in mortal
veins anywhere on the earth ! Go down to Hela, Asmund,
and be forgotten ! ' and she began to mutter runes swiftly.
Now Asmund turned white with wrath. ' Cease thy evil
talk,' he said, ' or thou shalt be hurled as a witch into Goldfoss
pool.'
' Into Goldfoss pool ? — yea, there I may lie. I see it ! — I
seem to see this shape of mine rolling where the waters boil
fiercest — but thine eyes shall never see it ! Thy eyes are shut,
and shut are the eyes of Unna, for ye have gone before ! — I do
but follow after,' and thrice Groa shrieked aloud, throwing up
her arms, then fell foaming on the sanded floor.
' An evil woman and a fey ! ' said Asmund as he called people
to her. ' It had been better for me if I had never seen her
dark face.'
Now it is to be told that Groa lay beside herself for ten full
days, and Swanhild nursed her. Then she found her sense
again, and craved to see Asmund, and spoke thus to him :
' It seems to me, lord, if indeed it be aught but a vision of
my dreams, that before this sickness struck me I spoke mad
and angry words against thee, because thou hast plighted troth
to Unna, Thorod's daughter.'
' That is so, in truth,' said Asmund.
' I have to say this, then, lord : that most humbly I crave
thy pardon for my ill words, and ask thee to put them away
from thy mind. Sore heart makes sour speech, and thou
knowest well that, howsoever great my faults, at least I have
always loved thee and laboured for thee, and methinks that in
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 59
some fashion thy fortunes are the debtor to my wisdom. There-
fore when my ears heard that thou hadst of a truth put me
away, and that another woman comes an honoured wife to rule
in Middalhof, my tongue forgot its courtesy, and I spoke words
that are of all words the farthest from my mind. For I know
well that I grow old, and have put off that beauty with which I
was adorned of yore, and that held thee to me. " Carline" Eric
Brighteyes named me, and " carline" I am — an old hag, no
more ! Now, forgive me, and, in memory of all that has been be-
tween us, let me creep to my place in the ingle and still watch
and serve thee and thine till my service is outworn. Out of
Ban's net I came to thee, and, if thou drivest me hence, I tell
thee that I will lie down and die upon thy threshold, and when
thousinkest into eld surely the memory of it shall grieve thee.'
Thus she spoke and wept much, till Asmund's heart softened
in him, and, though with a doubting mind, he said it should
be as she willed.
So Groa stayed on at Middalhof, and was lowly in her
bearing and soft of speech.
6o
ERIC BRIGHTE YES
THE BARESARK PROPHESIES.
CHAPTER VII
HOW EEIC WENT UP MOS-FELL AGAINST SKALIiAGBIM THE
BARESARK
OW Atli the Good, earl of the
Orkneys, comes into the story.
It chanced that Atli had sailed
to Iceland in the autumn 011 a
business about certain lands that
had fallen to him in right of his
mother Helga, who was an Ice-
lander, and he had wintered west
of Eeyjanes. Spring being come,
he wished to sail home, and, when
his ship was bound, he put to sea
full early in the year. But it chanced that bad weather came up
from the south-east, with mist and rain, so he must needs beach
his ship in a creek under shelter of the Westman Islands.
Now Atli asked what people dwelt in these parts, and, when
he heard the name of Asmund Asmundson the Priest, he was
glad, for in old days he and Asmund had gone many a viking
cruise together.
' We will leave the ship here,' he said, ' till the weather
clears, and go up to Middalhof to stay with Asmund.'
So they made the ship snug, and left- men to watch her ;
but two of the company, with Earl Atli, rode up to Middalhof.
It must be told of Atli that he was the best of the earls
who lived in those days, and he ruled the Orkneys so well
that men gave him a by-name and called him Atli the Good.
It was said of him that he had never turned a poor man away
unsuccoured, nor bowed his head before a strong man, nor
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 61
drawn his sword without cause, nor refused peace to him who
prayed it. He was sixty years old, but age had left few marks on
him, except that of his long white beard. He was keen-eyed,
and well fashioned of form and face, a great warrior and the
strongest of men. His wife was dead, leaving him no children,
and this was a sorrow to him ; but as yet he had taken no
other wife, for he would say : ' Love makes an old man blind,'
and'4 When age runs with youth, both shall fall,' and again,
' Mix grey locks and .golden and spoil two heads.' For this
earl was a man of many wise sayings.
Now Atli came to Middalhof just as men sat down to meat
and, hearing the clatter of arms, all sprang to their feet, think-
ing that perhaps Ospakar was come again as he had
promised. But when Asmund saw Atli he knew him at once,
tliough they had not met for nearly thirty years, and he
greeted him lovingly, and put him in the high seat, and gave
place to his men upon the cross-benches. Atli told all his
story, and Asmund bade him rest a while at Middalhof till the
weather grew clearer.
Now the Earl saw Swanhild and thought the maid wondrous
fair, and so indeed she was, as she moved scornfully to and fro
in her kirtle of white. Soft was her curling hair and deep were
her dark blue eyes, and bent were her red lips as is a bow
above her dimpled chin, and her teeth shone like pearls.
* Is that fair maid thy daughter, Asmund ? ' asked Atli.
' She is named Swanhild the Fatherless,' he answered,
turning his face away.
Well,' said Atli, looking sharply on him, ' were the maid
sprung from me, she would not long be called the " Fatherless,"
for few have such a daughter.'
' She is fair enough,' said Asmund, * in all save in temper,
and that is bad to cross.'
' In every sword a flaw,' answers Atli ; ' but what has an
old man to do with young maids and their beauty ? ' and he
sighed.
' I have known younger men who would seem less brisk at
bridals,' said Asmund, and for that time they talked no more
of the matter.
62 ERIC B RIGHTS YES
Now, Swanhild heard something of this speech, and she
guessed more ; and it came into her mind that it would be the
best of sport to make this old man love her, and then to mock
him and say him nay. So she set herself to the task, as it ever
was her wont, and she found it easy. For all day long, with
downcast eyes and gentle looks, she waited upon the Earl, and
now, at his bidding, she sang to him in a voice soft and low,
and now she talked so wisely well that Atli thought no such
maid had trod the earth before. But he checked himself with
many learned saws, and on a day when the weather had grown
fair, and they sat alone, he told her that his ship was bound
for Orkney Isles.
Then, as though by chance, Swanhild laid her white hand
in his, and on a sudden looked deep into his eyes, and said with
trembling lips, ' Ah, go not yet, lord !— I pray thee, go not
yet ! ' — and, turning, she fled away.
But Atli was much moved, and he said to himself : ' Now
a strange thing is come to pass : a fair maid loves an old man ;
and yet, methinks, he who looks into those eyes sees deep
waters,' and he beat his brow and thought.
But Swanhild in her chamber laughed till the tears ran
from those same eyes, for she saw that the great fish was
hooked and now the time had come to play him.
For she did not know that it was otherwise fated.
Gudruda, too, saw all these things and knew not how to read
them, for she was of an honest mind, and could not under-
stand how a woman may love a man as Swanhild loved Eric
and yet make such play with other men, and that of her free
will. For she guessed little of Swanhild's guilefulness, nor of
the coldness of her heart to all save Eric ; nor of how this was
the only joy left to her : to make a sport of men and put them
to grief and shame. Atli said to himself that he would watch
this maid well before he uttered a word to Asmund, and he
deemed himself very cunning, for he was wondrous cautious after
the fashion of those about to fall. So he set himself to watching,
and Swanhild set herself to smiling, and he told her tales of
warfare and of daring, and she clasped her hands and said :
1 Was there ever such a man since Odin trod the earth ? '
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 63
And so it went on, till the serving-women laughed at the old
man in love and the wit of her that mocked him.
Now upon a day, Eric having made an end of sowing his
corn, bethought him of his vow to go up alone against Skalla-
grim the Baresark in his den on Mosfell over by Hecla. Now,
this was a heavy task : for Skallagrim was held so mighty
among men that none went up against him any more ; and at
times Eric thought of Gudruda, and sighed, for it was likely
that she would be a widow before she was made a wife. Still,
his oath must be fulfilled, and, moreover, of late Skallagrim,
having heard that a youngling named Eric Brighteyes had
vowed to slay him single-handed, had made a mock of him in
this fashion. For Skallagrim rode down to Coldback on Ean
Eiver and at night-time took a lamb from the fold. Holding
the lamb beneath his arm, he drew near to the house and smote
thrice on the door with his battle-axe, and they were thundering
knocks. Then he leapt on to his horse and rode off a space and
waited. Presently Eric came out, but half clad, a shield in
one hand and Whitefire in the other, and, looking, by the bright
moonlight he saw a huge black-bearded man seated on a horse,
having a great axe in one hand and the lamb beneath his arm.
' Who art thou ? ' roared Eric.
' I am called Skallagrim, youngling,' answered the man on
the horse. ' Many men have seen me once, none have wished
to see me twice, and some few have never seen aught again.
Now, it has been echoed in my ears that thou hast vowed a
vow to go up Mosfell against Skallagrim the Baresark, and I
am come hither to say that I will make thee right welcome.
See,' and with his axe he cut off the lamb's tail on the pommel
of his saddle : ' of the flesh of this lamb of thine I will brew
broth and of his skin I will make me a vest. Take thou this
tail and when thou fittest it on to the skin again, Skallagrim
will own a lord,' and he hurled the tail towards him.
' Bide thou there till I can come to thee,' shouted Eric ;
v it will spare me a ride to Mosfell.'
* Nay, nay. It is good for lads to take the mountain air,'
and Skallagrim turned his horse away, laughing.
64 ERIC BRIG HTE YES
Eric watched Skallagrim vanish over the knoll, and then,
though he was very angry, laughed also and went in. But
first he picked up the tail, and on the morrow he skinned it.
Now the time was come when the matter must be tried, and
Eric bade farewell to Saevuna his mother, and Unna his
cousin, and girt Whitefire round him and set upon his head a
golden helm with wings on it. Then he found the byrnie
which his father Thorgrimur had stripped, together with the
helm, from that Baresark who cut off his leg— and this was a
good piece, forged of the Welshmen — and he put it on his breast,
and taking a stout shield of bull's hide studded with nails,
rode away with one thrall, the strong carle named Jon.
But the women misdoubted them much of this venture ;
nevertheless Eric might not be gainsayed.
Now, the road to Mosfell runs past Middalhof and thither
he came. Atli, standing at the men's door, saw him and cried
aloud : * Ho ! a mighty man comes here.'
Swanhild looked out and saw Eric, and he was a goodly
sight in his war-gear. For now, week by week, he seemed to
grow more fair and great, as the full strength of his manhood
rose in him, like sap in the spring grass, and Gudruda was
very proud of her lover. That night Eric stayed at Middalhof,
and sat hand in hand with Gudruda and talked with Earl Atli.
Now the heart of the old viking went out to Eric, and he took
great delight in him and in his strength and deeds, and he
longed much that the Gods had given him such a son.
'I prophesy this of thee, Brighteyes,' he cried: * that it shall
go ill with this Baresark thou seekest — yes, and with all men
who come within sweep of that great sword of thine. Bui
remember this, lad : guard thy head with thy buckler, cut lo\\
beneath his shield, if he carries one, and mow the legs from
him : for ever a Baresark rushes on, shield up.'
Eric thanked him for his good words and went to rest,
But, before it was light, he rose, and Gudruda rose also and
came into the hall, and buckled his harness on him with hei
own hands.
1 This is a sad task for me, Eric ! ' she sighed, « for how do ."
know that Baresark's hands shall not loose this helm of thine?
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 65
' That is as it may be, sweet,' he said ; * but I fear not the
Baresark or any man. How goes it with Swanhild now ? '
' I know not. She makes herself sweet to that old Earl
and he is fain of her, and that is beyond my sight.'
' I have seen as much,' said Eric. ' It will be well for us
if he should wed her.'
' Ay, and ill for him ; but it is to be doubted if that is in her
mind.'
Now Eric kissed her soft and sweet, and went away, bidding
her look for his return on the day after the morrow.
Gudruda bore up bravely against her fears till he was gone,
but then she wept a little.
Now it is to be told that Eric and his thrall Jon rode hard
up Stonefell and across the mountains and over the black sand,
till, two hours before sunset, they came to the foot of Mosfell,
having Hecla on their right. It is a grim mountain, grey
with moss, standing alone in the desert plain ; but between it
and Hecla there is good grassland.
* Here is the fox's earth. Now to start him,' said Eric.
He knows something of the path by which this fortress can
be climbed from the south, and horses may be ridden up it for a
space. So on they go, till at length they come to a flat place
where water runs down the black rocks, and here Eric drank
of the water, ate food, and washed- his face and hands.
This done, he bid Jon tend the horses — for hereabouts there is
a little grass — and be watchful till he returned, since he must
go up against Skallagrim alone. And there with a doubtful
heart Jon stayed all that night. For of all that came to pass
he saw but one thing, and that was the light of Whitefire as it
flashed out high above him on the brow of the mountain when
first Brighteyes smote at foe.
Eric went warily up the Baresark path, for he would keep
his breath in him, and the light shone redly on his golden
helm. High he went, till at length he came to a pass narrow
and dark and hedged on either side with sheer cliffs, such as
two armed men might hold against a score. He peered down
this path, but he saw no Baresark, though it was worn by
66 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Baresark feet. He crept along its length, moving like a sun-
beam through the darkness of the pass, for the light gathered
on his helm and sword, till suddenly the path turned and he
was on the brink of a gulf that seemed to have no bottom,
and, looking across and down, he could see Jon and the horses
more than a hundred fathoms beneath. Now Eric must stop,
for this path leads but into the black gulf. Also he was
perplexed to know where Skallagrim had his lair. He crept
to the brink and gazed. Then he saw that a point of rock
jutted from the sheer face of the cliff and that the point was
worn with the mark of feet.
1 Where Baresark passes, there may yeoman follow,' said
Eric and, sheathing Whitefire, without more ado, though he
liked the task little, he grasped the overhanging rock and
stepped down on to the point below. Now he was perched like
an eagle over the dizzy gulf and his brain swam. Backward
he feared to go, and forward he might not, for there was nothing
but air. Beside him, growing from the face of the cliff, was a
birch-bush. He grasped it to steady himself. It bent beneath
his clutch, and then he saw, behind it, a hole in the rock
through which a man could creep, and down this hole ran foot-
marks.
' First through air like a bird ; now through earth like a
fox,' said Eric and entered the hole. Doubling his body till his
helm almost touched his knee he took three paces and lo ! he
stood on a great platform of rock, so large that a hall might
be built on it, which, curving inwards, cannot be seen fronf
the narrow pass. This platform, that is backed by the sheer
cliff, looks straight to the south, and from it he could search
the plain and the path that he had travelled, and there once
more he saw Jon and the horses far below him.
'A strong place, truly, and well chosen,' said Eric and
looked around. On the floor of the rock and some paces from
him a turf fire still smouldered, and by it were sheep's bones,
and beyond, in the face of the overhanging precipice, was the
mouth of a cave.
' The wolf is at home, or was but lately,' said Eric ; ' now
for his lair ; ' and with that he walked warily to the mouth of
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
the cave and peered in. He could see nothing yet a while, but
surely he heard a sound of snoring ?
Then he crept in, and, presently, by the red light of the
burning embers, he saw a great black-bearded man stretched
at length upon a rug of sheepskins, and by his side an axe.
' Now it would be easy to make an end of this cave-dweller,'
thought Eric ; ' but that is a deed I will not do — no, not even
to a Baresark — to slay him in his sleep,' and therewith he
stepped lightly to the side of Skallagrim, a-nd was about to
prick him with the point of Whitefire, when ! as he did so,
another man sat up
behind Skallagrim.
' By Thor ! for two
I did not bargain,' said
Eric, and sprang from
the cave.
Then, with a grunt
of rage, that Baresark
who was behind Skal-
lagrim came out like
a she-bear robbed of
her whelps, and ran
straight at Eric, sword
aloft. Eric gives before
him right to the edge
of the cliff. Then the
Baresark smites at him
and Brighteyes catches the blow on his shield, and smites in
turn so well and truly, that the head of the Baresark flies from
his shoulders and spins along the ground, but his body, with
outstretched arms yet gripping at the air, falls over the edge of
the gulf sheer into the water, a hundred fathoms down. It
was the flash that Whitefire made as it circled ere it smote
that Jon saw while he waited in the dell upon the mountain
side. But of the Baresark he saw nothing, for he passed down
into the great fire-riven cleft and was never seen more, save
once only, in a strange fashion that shall be told. This was
the first man whom Brighteyes slew.
A lUTXDHKl) FATHOMS DOWN.'
CS ERIC BRIG HTE YES
Now the old tale tells that Eric cried aloud : ' Little
chance had this one,' and that then a wonderful thing came to
pass. For the head on the rock opened its eyes and answered :
'Little chance indeed against thee, Eric Brighteyes.
Still, I tell thee this : that where my body fell there thou shalt
fall, and where it lies there thou shalt lie also.'
Now Eric was afraid, for he thought it a strange thing
that a severed head should speak to him.
1 Here it seems I have to deal with trolls,' he said ; ' but
at the least, though he speak, this one shall strike no more,'
and he looked at the head, but it answered nothing.
Now Skallagrim slept through it all and the light grew
so dim that Eric thought it time to make an end this way or
that. Therefore, he took the head of the slain man, though
he feared to touch it, and rolled it swiftly into the cave, saying,
'Now, being so glib of speech, go tell thy mate that Eric
Brighteyes knocks at his door.'
Then came sounds as of a man rising, and presently
Skallagrim rushed forth with axe aloft and his fellow's head
in his left hand. He was clothed in nothing but a shirt and
the skin of Eric's lamb was bound on his chest.
' Where now is my mate ? ' he said. Then he saw Eric
leaning on Whitefire, his golden helm ablaze with the glory
of the passing sun.
' It seems that thou boldest somewhat of him in thine
hand, Skallagrim, and for the rest, go seek it in yonder rift.'
' Who art thou ? roared Skallagrim.
' Thou mayest know me by this token,' said Eric, and he
threw towards him the skin of that lamb's tail which Skalla--
grim had lifted from Coldback.
Now Skallagrim knew him and the Baresark fit came on.
His eyes rolled, foam flew from his lips, his mouth grinned,
and he was awesome to see. He let fall the head, and, swinging
the great axe aloft, rushed at Eric. But Brighteyes is too
swift for him. It would not be well to let that stroke fall, and
it must go hard with aught it struck. He springs forward,
he louts low and sweeps upwards with Whitefire. Skallagrim
sees the sword flare and drops almost to his knee, guarding his
Eric encounters Skallagrim.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 69
head with the axe ; but Whitefire strikes on the iron haft
of the axe and shears it in two, so that the axe-head falls to
earth. Now the Baresark is weaponless but unharmed, and it
would be an easy task to slay him as he rushes by. But it came
into Eric's mind that it is an unworthy deed to slay a swordless
man, and this came into his mind also, that he desired to match
his naked might against a Baresark in his rage. So, in the
hardihood of his youth and strength, he cast Whitefire aside,
and crying « Come, try a fall with me, Baresark,' rushed on
Skallagrim.
' Thou art mad,' yells the Baresark, and they are at it
hard. Now they grip and rend and tear. Ospakar was strong,
but the Baresark strength of Skallagrim is more than the
strength of Ospakar, and soon Brighteyes thinks longingly on
Whitefire that he has cast aside. Eric is mighty beyond the
might of men, but he can scarcely hold his own against this mad
man, and very soon he knows that only one chance is left to him,
and that is to cling to Skallagrim till the Baresark fit be passed
and he is once more like other men. But this is easier to tell
of than to do, and presently, strive as he will, Eric is on his
back, and Skallagrim on him. But still he holds the Baresark
as with bands of iron, and Skallagrim may not free his arms,
though he strive furiously. Now they roll over and over on the
rock, and the gloom gathers fast about them till presently
Eric sees that they draw near to the brink of that mighty rift
down which the severed head of the cave-dweller has foretold
his fall.
' Then we go together,' says Eric, but the Baresark does not
heed. Now they are on the very brink, and here as it chances,
or as the Norns decree, a little rock juts up and this keeps them
from falling. Eric is uppermost, and, strive as he will, Skalla-
grim may not turn him on his back again. Still, Brighteyes'
strength may not endure very long, for he grows faint, and his
legs slip slowly over the side of the rift till now he clings,
as it were, by his ribs and shoulder-blades alone, that rub
against the little rock. The light dies away, and Eric thinks
on sweet Gudruda and makes ready to die also, when suddenly
last ray from the sun falls on the fierce face of Skalla-
70 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
grim, and lo ! Brighteyes sees it change, for the madness goes
out of it, and in a moment the Baresark becomes but as a
child in his mighty grip.
* Hold ! ' said Skallagrim, ' I crave peace ' and he loosed his
clasp.
' Not too soon, then,' gasped Eric as, drawing his legs from
over the brink of the rift, he gained his feet and, staggering to
his sword, grasped it very thankfully.
' I am fordone ! ' said Skallagrim ; ' come, drag me from
this place, for I fall ; or, if thou wilt, hew off my head.'
' I will not serve thee thus,' said Eric. ' Thou art a gallant
foe,' and he put out his hand and drew him into safety.
For a while Skallagrim lay panting, then he gained his
hands and knees and crawled to where Eric leaned against the
rock.
' Lord,' he said, * give me thy hand.'
Eric stretched forth his left hand, wondering and Skalla-
grim took it. He did not stretch out his right, for, fearing guile,
he gripped Whitefire in it.
' Lord,' Skallagrim said again, ' of all men who ever were,
thou art the mightiest. Five other men had not stood before
me in my rage, but, scorning thy weapon, thou didst overcome
me in the noblest fashion, and by thy naked strength alone.
Now hearken. Thou hast given me my life, and it is thine from
this hour to the end. Here I swear fealty to thee. Slay me if
thou wilt, or use me if thou wilt, but I think it will be better
for thee to do this rather than that, for there is but one who has
mastered me, and thou art he, and it is borne in upon my mind
that thou wilt have need of my strength, and that shortly.'
' That may well be, Skallagrim,' said Eric, * yet I put little
trust in outlaws and cave-dwellers. How do I know, if I take
thee to me, that thou wilt not murder me in my sleep, as it
would have been easy for me to do by thee but now ? '
' What is it that runs from thy arm,' asked Skallagrim.
1 Blood,' said Eric.
* Stretch out thine arm, lord.'
Eric did so, and the Baresark put his lips to the scratch
and sucked the blood, then said :
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 71
4 In this blood of thine I pledge thee, Eric Brighteyes ! May
Valhalla refuse me and Hela take me ; may I be hunted like a fox
from earth to earth ; may trolls torment me and wizards sport
with me o' nights ; may my limbs shrivel and my heart turn to
water ; may my foes overtake me, and my bones be crushed
across the doom-stone — if I fail in one jot from this my oath that
I have sworn ! I will guard thy back, I will smite thy enemies,
thy hearthstone shall be my temple, thy honour my honour.
Thrall am I of thine, and thrall I will be, and whiles thou wilt
we will live one life, and, in the end, we will die one death.'
' It seems that in going to seek a foe I have found a friend,'
said Eric, ' and it is likely enough that I shall need one. Skalla-
grim, Baresark and outlaw as thou art, I take thee at thy word.
Henceforth, we are master and man and we will do many a
deed side by side, and in token of it I lengthen thy name and
call thee Skallagrim Lambstail. Now, if thou hast it, give
me food and drink, for I am faint from that hug of thine, old
bear.'
72 ERIC BRIG HTE YES
CHAPTER VIII
HOW OSPAKAE BLACKTOOTH FOUND EEIC BEIGHTEYES AND
SKALLAGEIM LAMEST AIL ON HOESE-HEAD HEIGHTS
Now Skallagrim led Eric to his cave and fed the fire and gave
him flesh to eat and ale to drink. When he had eaten his
fill Eric looked at the Baresark. He had black hair streaked
with grey that hung down upon his shoulders. His nose was
hooked like an eagle's beak, his beard was wild and his sunken
eyes were keen as a hawk's. He was somewhat bent and not
over tall, but of a mighty make, for his shoulders must pass
many a door sideways.
' Thou art a great man,' said Eric, * and it is something to
have overcome thee. Now tell me what turned thee Baresark.'
' A shameful deed that was done against me, lord. Ten
years ago I was a yeoman of small wealth in the north. I had
but one good thing, and that was the fairest housewife in those
parts — Thorunna by name — and I loved her much, but we had
no children. Now, not far from my stead is a place called
Swinefell, and there dwells a mighty chief named Ospakar
Blacktooth ; he is an evil man and a strong '
Eric started at the name and then bade Skallagrim take
up the tale.
'It chanced that Ospakar saw my wife Thorunna and
would take her, but at first she did not listen. Then he pro-
mised her wealth and all good things, and she was weary of
our hard way of life and hearkened. Still, she would not go
away openly, for that had brought shame on her, but plotted
with Ospakar that he should come and take her as though by
force. So it came about, as I lay heavily asleep one night
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 73
at Thorunna's side, having drunk somewhat too deeply of the
autumn ale, that armed men seized me, bound me, and haled
me from my bed. There were eight of them, and with them
was Ospakar. Then Blacktooth bid Thorunna rise, clothe
herself and come to be his May, and she made pretence to weep
at this, but fell to it readily enough. Now she bound her
girdle round her and to it a knife hung.
'"Kill thyself, sweet," I cried: "death is better than
shame."
1 " Not so, husband," she answered. "It is true that I love
but thee ; yet a woman may find another love, but not another
life," and I saw her laugh through her mock tears. Now
Ospakar rode in hot haste away to Swinefell and with him
went Thorunna, but his men stayed a while and drank my ale,
and, as they drank, they mocked me who was bound before
them, and little by little all the truth was told of the doings of
Ospakar and Thorunna my housewife, and I learned that it was
she who had planned this sport. Then my eyes grew dark and
I drew near to death from very shame and bitterness. But of
a sudden something leaped up in my heart, fire raged before
my eyes and voices in my ears called on to war and vengeance.
was Baresark — and like hay bands I burst my cords. My
hung on the wainscot. I snatched it thence, and of what
jfell I know this alone, that, when the madness passed, eight
ien lay stretched out before me, and all the place was but a
)re of blood.
' Then I drew the dead together and piled drinking -tables
rer them, and benches, and turf, and anything else that would
)urn, and put cod's oil on the pile, and fired the stead above
lem, so that the tale went abroad that all these men were
mrned in their cups, and I wHh them.
But I took the name of Skallagrim and swore an oath
jainst all men, ay, and women too, and away I went to the
rood-folk and worked much mischief, for I spared few, and so on
Mosfell. Here I have stayed these five years, awaiting the
;ime when I shall find Ospakar and Thorunna the harlot,
id I have fought many men, but, till thou earnest up against
le, none could stand before my might.'
74 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
' A strange tale, truly,' said Eric ; 'but now hearken thou
to a stranger, for of a truth it seems that we have not come
together by chance,' and he told him of Gudruda and the
wrestling and of the overthrow of Blacktooth, and showed him
Whitefire which he won out of the hand of Ospakar.
Skallagrim listened and laughed aloud. * Surely,' he said,
« this is the work of the Norns. See, lord, thou and I will yet
smite this Ospakar. He has taken my wife and he would take
thy betrothed. Let it be ! Let it be ! Ah, would that I had
been there to see the wrestling — Ospakar had never risen from
his snow-bed. But there is time left to us, and I shall yet see
his head roll along the dust. Thou hast his goodly sword
and with it thou shalt sweep Blacktooth 's head from his
shoulders — or perchance that shall be my lot,' and with this
Skallagrim sprang up, gnashing his teeth and clutching at
the air.
' Peace,' said Eric. ' Blacktooth is not here. Save thy
rage until it can run along thy sword and strike him.'
' Nay, not here, nor yet so far off, lord. Hearken : I know
this Ospakar. If he has set eyes of longing on Gudruda,
Asmund's daughter, he will not rest one hour till he have her or
is slain ; and if he has set eyes of hate on thee — then take
heed to thy going and spy down every path before thy feet
tread it. Soon shall the matter come on for judgment and
even now Odin's Valkyries1 choose their own.'
'It is well, then,' said Eric.
* Yea, lord, it is well, for we two have little to fear from
any six men, if so be that they fall on us in fair fight. But I do
not altogether like thy tale. Too many women are mixed
up in it, and women stab in the back. A man may deal with
swords aloft, but not with tricks, and lies, and false women's
witchery. It was a woman who greased thy wrestling soles ;
mayhap it will be a woman that binds on thy Hell-shoes
when all is done — ay ! and who makes them ready for thy
feet.'
1 The • corse-choosing sisters ' who were bidden by Odin to single out
those warriors whose hour had come to die in battle and win Valhalla.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 75
'Of women, as of men,' answered Eric, ' there is this to be
said, that some are good and some evil.'
' Yes, lord, and this also, that the evil ones plot the ill
of their evil, but the good do it of their blind foolishness.
Forswear women and so shalt thou live happy and die in
honour — cherish them and live in wretchedness and die an
outcast.'
' Thy talk is foolish,' said Eric. ' Birds must to the air,
the sea to the shore, and man must to woman. As things are
so let them be, for they will soon seem as though they had
never been. I had rather kiss my dear and die, if so it pleases
me to do, than kiss her not and live, for at the last the end will
be one end, and kisses are sweet ! '
' That is a good saying,' said Skallagrim, and they fell
asleep side by side and Eric had no fear.
Now they awoke and the light was already full, for they
were weary and their sleep had been heavy.
Hard by the mouth of the cave is a little well of water that
gathers there from the rocks above and in this Eric washed
himself. Then Skallagrim showed him the cave and the
goodly store of arms that he had won from those whom he
slain and robbed.
1 A wondrous place, truly,' said Eric, ' and well fitted to the
uses of such a chapman l as thou art ; but, say, how didst
«u find it ? '
' I followed him who was here before me and gave him
ice — to go, or to fight for the stronghold. But he needs
must fight and that was his bane, for I slew him.'
t' Who was that, then,' asked Eric, 'whose head lies
der?
* A cave-dweller, lord, whom I took to me because of the
. . ssomeness of the winter tide. He was an evil man, for
though it is good to be Baresark from time to time, yet to
dwell with one who is always Baresark is not good, and thou
didst a needful deed in smiting his head from him — and now
let it go to find its trunk,' and he rolled it over the edge of the
great rift.
1 Merchant.
£UUU
w
I
76 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
' Knowest thou, Skallagrim, that this head spoke to me
after it had left the man's shoulders, saying that where its
body fell there I should fall, and where it lay there I should
lie also ? '
' Then, lord, that is likely to be thy doom, for this man was
foresighted, and, but the night before last, as we rode out to
seek sheep, he felt his head, and said that, before the sun
sank again, a hundred fathoms of air should link it to his
shoulders.'
* It may be so,' answered Eric. ' I thought as I lay in thy
grip yonder that the fate was near. And now arm thyself,
and take such goods as thou needest, and let us hence, for
that thrall of mine who waits me yonder will think thou hast
been too mighty for me.'
Skallagrim went to the edge of the rift and searched the
plain with his hawk eyes.
' No need to hasten, lord,' he said. ' See yonder rides thy
thrall across the black sand, and with him goes thy horse.
Surely he thought thou earnest no more down the path by
which thou wentest up, and it is not thrall's work to seek
Skallagrim in his lair and ask for tidings.'
' Wolves take him for a fool ! ' said Eric in anger. ' He will
ride to Middalhof and sing my death- song, and that will sound
sadly in some ears.'
' It is pleasant, lord,' said Skallagrim, * when good tidings
dog the heels of bad, and womenfolk can spare some tears
and be little poorer. I have horses in a secret dell that I will
show thee, and on them we will ride hence to Middalhof— and
there thou must claim peace for me.'
' It is well,' said Eric ; ' now arm thyself, for if thou goest
with me thou must make an end of thy Baresark ways, or
keep them for the hour of battle.'
' I will do thy bidding, lord,' said Skallagrim. Then he
entered the cave and set a plain black steel helm upon his
black locks, and a black chain byrnie about his breast. He
took the great axe-head also and fitted to it the haft of another
axe that lay among the weapons. Then he drew out a purse of
money and a store of golden rings, and set them in a bag of
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 77
otter skin, and buckled it about him. But the other goods
he wrapped up in skins and hid behind some stones which
were at the bottom of the cave — purposing to come another
time and fetch them.
Then they went forth by that same perilous path which
Eric had trod, and Skallagrim showed him how he might pass
the rock in safety.
' A rough road this,' said Eric as he gained the deep cleft.
' Yea, lord, and, till thou earnest, one that none but wood-
folk have trodden.'
' I would tread it no more,' said Eric again, * and yet that
fellow thief of thine said that I should die here,' and for a while
his heart was heavy.
Now Skallagrim Lambstail led him by secret paths to a
dell rich in grass, that is hid in the round of the mountain,
and here three good horses were at feed. Then, going to
a certain rock, he brought out bits and saddles, and they
caught the horses, and mounting them, rode away from
Mosfell.
Now Eric and his henchman Skallagrim the Baresark
rode four hours and saw nobody, till at length they came to
the brow of a hill that is named Horse-Head Heights, and,
crossing it, found themselves almost in the midst of a score of
armed men who were about to mount their horses.
' Now we have company,' said Skallagrim.
' Yes and bad company,' answered Eric, * for yonder I spy
Ospakar Blacktooth, and Gizur and Mord his sons, ay and
others. Down, and back to back, for they will show us little
gentleness.'
tThen they sprang to earth and took their stand upon a
imd of rising ground— and the men rode towards them.
* I shall soon know what thy fellowship is worth,' said
c.
* Fear not, lord,' answered Skallagrim. ' Hold thou thy
,d and I will hold thy back. We are met in a good
hour.'
' Good or ill, it is likely to be a short one. Hearken thou ;
am
f\r^.
78 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
if thou must turn Baresark when swords begin to flash, at
the least stand and be Baresark where thou art, for if thou
rushest on the foe, my back will be naked and I must soon be
sped.'
' It shall be as thou sayest, lord.'
Now men rode round them, but at first they did not
know Eric, because of the golden helm that hid his face in
shadow.
' Who are ye ? ' called Ospakar.
* I think that thou shouldst know me, Blacktooth,'
Eric answered, ' for I set thee heels up in the snow but lately
—or, at the least, thou wilt know this,' and he drew great
Whitefire.
' Thou mayest know me also, Ospakar,' cried the Baresark.
' Skallagrim men called me, Lambstail, Eric Brighteyes calls
me, but once thou didst call me Ounound. Say, lord, what
tidings of Thorunna ? '
Now Ospakar shook his sword, laughing. ' I came out
to seek one foe, and I have found two,' he cried. ' Hearken,
Eric : when thou art slain I go hence to burn and kill at
Middalhof. Shall I bear thy head as keepsake from thee to
Gudruda ? For thee, Ounound, I thought thee dead ; but,
being yet alive, Thorunna, my sweet love, sends thee this,' and
he hurled a spear at him with all his might.
' But Skallagrim catches the spear as it flies and hurls it
back. It strikes right on the shield of Ospakar and pierces it,
ay and the byrnie, and the shoulder that is beneath the byrnie,
so that Blacktooth was made unmeet for fight, and howled
with pain and rage.
1 Go, bid Thorunna draw that splinter forth,' says Skalla-
grim, ' and heal the hole with kisses.'
Now Ospakar, writhing with his hurt, shouts to his men to
slay the two of them, and then the fight begins.
One rushes at Eric and smites at him with an axe.
The blow falls on his shield, and shears off the side of it, then
strikes the byrnie beneath, but lightly. In answer Eric sweeps
low at him with Whitefire, and cuts his leg from under him
between knee and thigh, and he falls and dies.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 79
Another rushes in. Down flashes Whitefire before he can
smite, and the carle's shield is cloven through. Then he
chooses to draw back and fights no more that day.
Skallagrim slays a man, and wounds another sore. A tall
chief with a red scar on his face comes at Brighteyes. Twice
he feints at the head while Eric watches, then lowers the sword
beneath the cover of his shield, and sweeps suddenly at Eric's
legs. Brighteyes leaps high into the air, smiting downward with
Whitefire as he leaps, and presently that chief is dead, shorn
through shoulder to breast.
Now Skallagrim slays another man and grows Baresark.
He looks so fierce that men fall back from him.
Two rush on Eric, one from either side. The sword of
him on the right falls on his shield and sinks in, but Bright-
eyes twists the shorn shield so strongly that the sword is
wrenched from the smiter's hand. Now the other sword is aloft
above him, and that had been Eric's bane, but Skallagrim glances
round and sees it about to fall. He has no time to turn, but
he dashes the hammer of his axe backward. It falls full on
the swordsman's head, and the head is shattered.
' That was well done,' says Eric as the sword goes down.
* Not so ill but it might be worse,' growls Skallagrim.
Presently all men drew back from these two, for they have
enough of Whitefire and the Baresark's axe.
Ospakar sits on his horse, his shield pinned to his shoulder
curses aloud.
1 Close in, you cowards ! ' he yells, ' close in and cut them
rn ! ' but no man stirs.
Then Eric mocks them. ' There are but two of us,' he
5, ' will no man try a game with me ? Let it not be sung
it twenty were overcome of two.'
Now Ospakar' s son Mord hears, and he grows mad with
rage. He holds his shield aloft and rushes on. But Gizur
13 Lawman does not come, for Gizur was a coward.
Skallagrim turns to meet Mord, but Eric says :—
1 This one for me, comrade,' and steps forward.
Mord strikes a mighty blow. Eric's shield is all shattered
d cannot stay it. It crashes through and falls full on the
8o ERIC B RIGHTS YES
golden helm, beating Brighteyes to his knee. Now he is up
again and blows fall thick and fast. Mord is a strong man,
unwearied, and skilled in war, and Eric's arms grow faint and
his strength sinks low. Mord smites again and wounds him
somewhat on the shoulder.
Eric throws aside his cloven shield and, shouting, plies
Whitefire with both arms. Mord gives before him, then
rushes and smites ; Eric leaps aside. Again he rushes and
lo! Brighteyes has dropped his point, and it stands a full
span through the back of Mord, and instantly that was his
bane.
Now men run to their horses, mount in hot haste and ride
away, crying that these are trolls whom they have to do with
here, not men. Skallagrim sees, and the Baresark fit takes
him sore. With axe aloft he charges after them, screaming
as he comes. There is one man, the same whom he had
wounded. He cannot mount easily, and when the Baresark
comes he still lies on the neck of his horse. The great axe
wheels on high and falls, and it is told of this stroke that it
was so mighty that man and horse sank dead beneath it,
cloven through and through. Then the fit leaves Skallagrim
and he walks back, and they are alone with the dead and
dying.
Eric leans on Whitefire and speaks :
1 Get thee gone, Skallagrim Lambstail ! ' he said ; * get thee
gone ! '
'It shall be as thou wilt, lord,' answered the Baresark;
' but I have not befriended thee so ill that thou shouldst fear
for blows to come.'
' I will keep no man with me who puts my word aside,
Skallagrim. What did I bid "thee ? Was it not that thou
shouldst have done with the Baresark ways, and where thou
stoodest there thou shouldst bide ? and see : thou didst
forget my word swiftly ! Now get thee gone ! '
* It is true, lord,' he said. * He who serves must serve
wholly,' and Skallagrim turned to seek his horse.
' Stay,' said Eric ; ' thou art a gallant man and I forgive
thee : but cross my will no more. We have slain seven men and
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
81
Ospakar goes hence wounded. We have got honour, and they
loss and the greatest Nshame. Nevertheless, ill shall come of
this to me, for Ospakar has many friends and will set a law -suit
on foot against me at the Althing,1 and thou didst draw the
first blood.'
* Would that the spear had gone more home,' said Skalla-
grim.
' Ospakar's time is not yet,' answered Eric ; ' still, he has
something by which to bear us in mind.'
1 The annual assembly of free men which, in Iceland, performed the
functions of a Parliament and Supreme Court of law.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER IX
HOW SWANHILD DEALT WITH GUDRUDA
)W Jon, Eric's thrall, watched
all night on Mosfell, but saw
nothing except the light of
Whitefire as it smote the
Baresark's head from his
shoulders. He stayed there
till daylight, much afraid ;
then, making sure that Eric
was slain, Jon rode hard and
fast for Middalhof, whither
he came at evening.
Gudruda was watching
by the women's door. She
strained her eyes towards
Mosfell to catch the light
gleaming on Eric's golden
helm, and presently it
gleamed indeed, white not red.
' See,' said Swanhild at her side, ' Eric comes ! '
* Not Eric, but his thrall,' answered Gudruda, * to tell us
that Eric is sped.'
They waited in silence while Jon galloped towards them.
' What news of Brighteyes ? ' cried Swanhild.
'Little need to ask,' said Gudruda, 'look at his face.'
Now Jon told his tale and Gudruda listened, clinging to
the door-post. But Swanhild cursed him for a coward, so
that he shrank before her eyes.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 83
Gudruda turned and walked into the hall and her face was
like the face of death. Men saw her, and Asmund asked why
she wore so strange a mien. Then Gudruda sang this song :
Up to Mosfell, battle eager,
Kode helmed Brighteyen to the fray.
Back from Mosfell, battle shunning,
Slunk yon coward thrall I ween.
Now shall maid Gudruda never
Know a husband's dear embrace ;
Widowed is she — sunk in sorrow,
Eric treads Valhalla's halls !
And with this she walked from the stead, looking neither
to the right nor to the left.
'Let the maid be,' said Atli the Earl. ' Grief fares best
alone. But my heart is sore for Eric. It should go ill with
that Baresark if I might get a grip of him.'
' That I will have before summer is gone,' said Asmund,
for the death of Eric seemed to him the worst of sorrows.
Gudruda walked far, and, crossing Laxa by the stepping
stones, climbed Stonefell till she came to the head of Golden
Falls, for, like a stricken thing, she desired to be alone
in her grief. But Swanlrild saw her and followed, coming
on her as she sat watching the water thunder down the
mighty cleft. Presently Swanhild's shadow fell athwart her,
and Gudruda looked up.
* What wouldst thou with me, Swanhild ? ' she asked". ' Art
thou come to mock my grief ? '
* Nay, foster-sister, for then I must mock my own. I
come to mix my tears with thine. See, we loved Eric, thou
and I, and Eric is dead. Let our hate be buried in his grave,
whence neither may draw him back.'
Gudruda looked upon her coldly, for nothing could stir her
now.
' Get thee gone,' she said. * Weep thine own tears and
leave me to weep mine. Not with thee will I mourn Eric.'
Swanhild frowned and bit upon her lip. ' I will not come to
thee with words of peace a second time, my rival,' she said. ' Eric
6 2
84 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
is dead, but my hate that was born of Eric's love for thee lives
on and grows, and its flower shall be thy death, Gudruda ! '
' Now that Brighteyes is dead, I would fain follow on his
path: so, if thou listest, throw the gates wide,' Gudruda
answered, and heeded her no more.
Swanhild went, but not far. On the further side of a knoll
of grass she flung herself to earth and grieved as her fierce
heart might. She shed no tears, but sat silently, looking with
empty eyes adown the past, and onward to the future, and
finding no good therein.
But Gudruda wept as the weight of her loss pressed in
upon her — wept heavy silent tears and cried in her heart to
Eric who was gone — cried to death to come upon her and
bring her sleep or Eric.
So she sat and so she grieved till, quite outworn with sor-
row, sleep stole upon her and she dreamed. Gudruda dreamed
that she was dead and that she sat nigh to the golden door
that is in Odin's house at Valhalla, by which the warriors pass
and repass for ever. There she sat from age to age, listening
to the thunder of ten thousand thousand tramping feet, and
watching the fierce faces of the chosen as they marched out
in armies to do battle in the meads. And as she sat, at length
a one-eyed man, clad in gleaming garments, drew near and
spoke to her. He was glorious to look on, and old, and she
knew him for Odin the Allfather.
' Whom seekest thou, maid Gudruda ? ' he asked, and the
voice he spoke with was the voice of waters.
'I seek Eric Brighteyes,' she answered, 'who passed
hither a thousand years ago, and for love of whom I am
heart-broken.'
* Eric Brighteyes, Thorgrimur's son ? ' quoth Odin • ' I know
him well ; no brisker warrior enters at Valhalla's doors, and
none shall do more service at the coming of grey wolf Fenrir.1
Pass on and leave him to his glory and his God.'
Then, in her dream, she wept sore, and prayed of. Odin by the
name of Freya that he would give Eric to her for a little space.
1 What wilt thou pay, then, maid Gudruda ? ' said Odin.
1 The foe destined to bring destruction on the Norse gods.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 85
' My life,' she answered.
* Good,' he said ; ' for a night Eric shall be thine. Then
die, and let thy death be his cause of death.' And Odin sang
this song :
Now, corse- choosing Daughters, hearken
To the dread Allfather's word :
When the gale of spears' breath gathers
Count not Eric midst the slain,
Till Brighteyen once hath slumbered,
Wedded, at Gudruda's side —
Then, Maidens, scream your battle call ;
Whelmed with foes, let Eric fall !
And Gudruda awoke, but in her ears the mighty waters
still seemed to speak with Odin's voice, saying :
Then, Maidens, scream your battle call ;
Whelmed with foes, let Eric fall !
She awoke from that fey sleep and looked upwards, and
lo ! before her, with shattered shield and all besmeared with
war's red rain, stood gold-helmed Eric. There he stood,
great and beautiful to see, and she looked on him trembling
and amazed.
1 Is it indeed thou, Eric, or is it yet my dream ? ' she
said.
' I am no dream, surely,' said Eric ; ' but why lookest thou
thus on me, Gudruda ? '
She rose slowly. ' Methought,' she said, ' methought that
thou wast dead at the hand of Skallagrim.' And with a
great cry she fell into his arms and lay there sobbing.
^It was a sweet sight thus to see Gudruda the Fair, her
ad of gold pillowed on Eric's war-stained byrnie, her dark
eyes afloat with tears of joy; but not so thought Swanhild,
watching. She shook in jealous rage, then crept away, and
hid herself where she could see no more, lest she should be
smitten with madness.
* Whence earnest thou ? ah ! whence earnest thou ? ' said
Gudruda. 'I thought thee dead, my love; but now I
dreamed that I prayed Odin, and he spared thee to me for a
little.'
::
86 ERIC BRIG HTE YES
' Well, and that he hath, though hardly,' and he told her
all that had happened, and how, as he rode with Skallagrim,
who yet sat yonder on his horse, he caught sight of a woman
seated on the grass and knew the colour Of the cloak.
Then Gudruda kissed him for very joy, and they were
happy each with each — for of all things that are sweet on
earth, there is nothing more sweet than this : to find him
we loved, and thought dead and cold, alive and at our
side.
And so they talked and were very glad with the gladness of
youth and love, till Eric said he must on to Middalhof before
the light failed, for he could not come on horseback the way
that Gudruda took, but must ride round the shoulder of the
hill ; and, moreover, he was spent with toil and hunger, and
Skallagrim grew weary of waiting.
' Go ! ' said Gudruda ; ' I will be there presently ! '
So he kissed her and went, and Swanhild saw the kiss and
saw him go.
' Well, lord,' said Skallagrim, ' hast thou had thy fill of
kissing ? '
' Not altogether,' answered Eric.
They rode a while in silence.
' I thought the maid seemed very fair ! ' said Skalla-
grim.
' There are women less favoured, Skallagrim.'
' Rich bait for mighty fish ! ' said Skallagrim. ' This I tell
thee : that, strive as thou mayest against thy fate, that maid
will be thy bane and mine also.'
' Things foredoomed will happen,' said Eric ; ' but if
thou fearest a maid, the cure is easy : depart from my
company.'
' Who was the other ? ' asked the Baresark — ' she who
crept and peered, listened, then crept back again, hid her face
in her hands, and talked with a grey wolf that came to her
like a dog ? '
' That must have been Swanhild,' said Eric, ' but I did not
see her. Ever does she hide like a rat in the thatch, and as for
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 87
the wolf, he must be her Familiar ; for, like Groa, her mother,
Swanhild plays much with witchcraft. Now I will away
back to Gudruda, for my heart misdoubts me of this matter.
Stay thou here till I come, Lambstail ! ' And Eric turns and
gallops back to the head of Goldfoss.
When Eric left her, Gudruda drew yet nearer to the edge
of the mighty falls, and seated herself on their very brink.
Her breast was full of joy, and there she sat and let the splen-
dour of the sight and the greatness of the rushing sounds
sink into her heart. Yonder shone the setting sun, poised, as
it were, on Westman's distant peaks, and here sped the waters,
and by that path Eric had come back to her. Yea, and there
on Sheep -saddle was the road that he had trod down Gold-
foss ; and but now he had slain one Baresark and won another
to be his thrall, and they two alone had smitten the company
of Ospakar, and come thence with honour and but little harmed.
Surely no such man as Eric had ever lived — none so fair and
strong and tender ; and she was right happy in his love ! She
stretched out her arms towards him whom but an hour gone
she had ''thought dead, but who had lived to come back to her
with honour, and blessed his beloved name, and laughed aloud
in her joyousness of heart, calling :
' Eric I Eric I '
But Swanhild, creeping behind her, did not laugh. She
heard Gudruda's voice and guessed Gudruda's gladness, and
jealousy arose within her and rent her. Should this fair rival
live to take her joy from her ?
' Grey Wolf, Grey Wolf ! what sayest thou ? '
See, now, if Gudruda were gone, if she rolled a corpse in
those boiling waters, Eric might yet be hers ; or, if he was not
hers, yet Gudruda's he could never be.
* Grey Wolf, Grey Wolf ! ivhat is thy counsel ? '
Right on the brink of the great gulf sat Gudruda. One
stroke and all would be ended. Eric had gone ; there was
no eye to see — none save the Grey Wolfs ; there was no
tongue to tell the deed that might be done. Who could call
her to account ? The Gods ! Who were the Gods ? What
88
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
were the Gods ? Were they not dreams ? There were no
Gods save the Gods of Evil — the Gods she knew and com-
muned with.
' Grey Wolf, Grey Wolf I what is thy rede ? '
There sat Gudruda, laughing in the triumph of her joy, with
the sunset-glow shining on her beauty, and there, behind her,
Swanhild crept — crept like a fox upon his sleeping prey.
Now she is there —
' I hear thee, Grey Wolf! Back to my breast* Grey
Wolf-! '
SWANHILD WHISPERING TO HER GREY WOLF.
Surely Gudruda heard something ? She half turned her
head, then again fell to calling aloud to the waters :
'Eric! beloved Eric! -ah! is there ever a light like the
light of thine eyes— is there ever a joy like the joy of thy kiss ? '
Swanhild heard, and her springs of mercy froze. Hate
and fury entered into her. She rose upon her knees and
gathered up her strength :
' Seek, then, thy joy in Goldfoss,' she cried aloud, and with
all her force she thrust.
Gudruda fell a fathom or more, then, with a cry, she
'There she hun£, her feet resting on the shelving bank.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 89.
clutched wildly at a little ledge of rock, and hung there,
her feet resting on the shelving bank. Thirty fathoms down,
swirled and poured and rolled the waters of the Golden
Falls. A fathom above, red in the red light of evening, lowered
the pitiless face of Swanhild. Gudruda looked beneath her
and saw. Pale with agony she looked up and saw, but she
said naught.
' Let go, my rival ; let go ! ' cried Swanhild : * there is
none to help thee, and none to tell thy tale. Let go, I say, and
seek thy marriage-bed in Goldfoss ! '
But Gudruda clung on and gazed upwards with white face
and piteous eyes.
' What ! art thou so fain of a moment's life ? ' said Swanhild.
'Then I will save thee from thyself, for it must be ill to
suffer thus ! ' and she ran to seek a rock. Now she finds
one and, staggering beneath its weight to the brink of the gulf,
peers over. Still Gudruda hangs. Space yawns beneath her,
the waters roar in her ears, the red sky glows above. She sees
Swanhild come and shrieks aloud.
Eric is there, though Swanhild hears him not, for the sound
of his horse's galloping feet is lost in the roar of waters. But
that cry comes to his ears, he sees the poised rock, and all
grows clear to him. He leaps from his horse, and even as
she looses the stone, clutches Swanhild's kirtle and hurls her
back. The rock bounds sideways and presently is lost in the
,ters.
Eric looks over. He sees Gudruda 's white face gleaming
in the gloom. Down he leaps upon the ledge, though this is
(easy thing.
' Hold fast ! I come ; hold fast ! ' he cries.
' I can no more,' gasps Gudruda, and one hand slips.
Eric grasps the rock and, stretching downward, grips her
st ; just as her hold loosens he grips it, and she swings loose,
weight hanging on his arm.
Now he must needs lift her up and that with one hand, for
me ledge is narrow and he dare not loose his hold of the rock
tve. She swings over the great gulf and she is senseless as
dead. He gathers all his mighty strength and lifts. His
bac
..,
9o ERIC BRIG HTE YES
feet slip a little, then catch, and once more Gudruda swings.
The sweat bursts out upon his forehead and his blood drums
through him. Now it must be, or not at all. Again he lifts
and his muscles strain and crack, and she lies beside him on
the narrow ledge !
All is not yet done. The brink of the cleft is the height of
a man above him. There he must lay her, for he may not
leave her to find aid, lest she should wake and roll into the
chasm. Loosing his hold of the cliff, he turns, facing the rock,
and, bending over Gudruda, twists his hands in her kirtle below
the breast and above the knee. Then once more Eric puts out
his might and draws her up to the level of his breast, and rests.
Again with all his force he lifts her above the crest of his helm
and throws her forward, so that now she lies upon the brink
of the great cliff. He almost falls backward at the effort, but,
clutching the rock, he saves himself, and with a struggle gains
her side, and lies there, panting like a wearied hound of chase.
Of all trials of strength that ever were put upon his might,
Eric was wont to say, this lifting of Gudruda was the greatest ;
for she was no light woman, and there was little to stand on
and almost nothing to cling to.
Presently Brighteyes rose and peered at Gudruda through
the gloom. She still swooned. Then he gazed about him —
but Swanhild, the witchgirl, was gone.
Then he took Gudruda in his arms, and, leading the horse,
stumbled through the darkness, calling on Skallagrim. The
Baresark answered, and presently his large form was seen loom-
ing in the gloom.
Eric told his tale in few words.
' The ways of womankind are evil,' said Skallagrim ; ' but
of all the deeds that I have known done at their hands, this
is the worst. It had been well to hurl the wolf- witch from
the cliff.'
' Ay, well,' said Eric ; ' but that song must yet be sung.'
Now dimly lighted of the rising moon by turns they bore
Gudruda down the mountain side, till at length, utterly for-
done, >they saw the fires of Middalhof.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER X
HOW ASMUND SPOKE WITH SWANHILD
I \| OW as the days went, though Atli's ship was bound
for sea, she did not sail, and it came about that
the Earl sank ever deeper in the toils of Swanhild. He called
to mind many wise saws, but these availed him little : for
when Love rises like the sun, wisdom melts like the mists.
So at length it came to this, that on the day of Eric's coming
back, Atli went to Asmund the Priest, and asked him for the
hand of Swanhild the Fatherless in marriage. Asmund heard
and was glad, for he knew well that things went badly between
Swanhild and Gudruda, and it seemed good to him that seas
should be set between them. Nevertheless, he thought it honest
to warn the Earl that Swanhild was apart from other women.
' Thou dost great honour, earl, to my foster-daughter and
my house,' he said. ' Still, it behoves me to move gently in
this matter. Swanhild is fair, and she shall not go hence a
wife undowered. But I must tell thee this : that her ways are
dark and secret, and strange and fiery are her moods, and I
think that she will bring evil on the man who weds her. Now,
I love thee, Atli, were it only for our youth's sake, and thou
92 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
art not altogether fit to mate with such a maid, for age
has met thee on thy way. For, as thou wouldst say, youth
draws to youth as the tide to the shore, and falls away from
eld as the wave from the rock. Think, then : is it well that
thou shouldst take her, Atli ? '
' I have thought much and overmuch,' answered the Earl,
stroking his grey beard ; ' but ships old and new drive before
a gale.'
' Ay, Atli, and the new ship rides, where the old one
founders.'
' A true rede, a heavy rede, Asmund ; yet I am minded to
sail this sea, and, if it sink me — well, I have known fair weather!
Great longing has got hold of me, and I think the maid
looks gently on me, and that things may yet go well between
us. I have many things to give such as women love. At the
least, if thou givest me thy good word, I will risk it, Asmund :
for the bold thrower sometimes wins the stake. Only I say
this, that, if Swanhild is unwilling, let there be an end of my
wooing, for I do not wish to take a bride who turns from my
grey hairs.'
Asmund said that it should be so, and they made an end
of talking just as the light failed.
Now Asmund went out seeking Swanhild, and presently
he met her near the stead. He could not see her face, and
that was well, for it was not good to look on, but her mien was
wondrous wild.
' Where hast thou been, Swanhild ? ' he asked.
' Mourning Eric Brighteyes,' she made answer.
'It is meeter for Gudruda to mourn over Eric than for
thee, for her loss is heavy,' Asmund said sternly. * What hast
thou to do with Eric ? '
'Little, or much, or all — read it as thou wilt, foster-
father. Still, all wept for are not lost, nor all who are lost
wept for.'
'Little do I know of thy dark redes,' said Asmund.
' Where is Gudruda now ? '
' High is she or low, sleeping or perchance awakened :
naught reck I. She also mourned for Eric, and we went nigh
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 93
to mingling tears— near together were brown curls and
golden,' and she laughed aloud.
' Thou art surely fey, thou evil girl ! ' said Asmund.
' Ay, foster-father, fey : yet is this but the first of my fey-
dom. Here starts the road that I must travel, and my feet
shall be red ere ever the journey's done.'
' Leave thy dark talk,' said Asmund, * for to me it is as the
wind's song, and listen : a good thing has befallen thee — ay,
good beyond thy deserving.'
1 Is it so ? Well, I stand greatly in need of good. What
is thy tidings, foster-father ? '
* This : Atli the Earl asks thee in marriage, and he is a
mighty man, well honoured in his own land, and set higher,
moreover, than I had looked for thee.'
'Ay,' answered Swanhild, 'set like the snow above the
fells, set in the years that long are dead. Nay, foster-father,
this white-bearded dotard is no mate for me. What ! shall I
mix my fire with his frost, my breathing youth with the creep-
ing palsy of his age ? Never ! If Swanhild weds she weds
not so, for it is better to go maiden to the grave than thus
to shrink and wither at the touch of eld. Now is Atli's woo-
ing sped, and there's an end.'
Asmund heard and grew wroth, for the matter seemed
strange to him ; nor are maidens wont thus to put aside the
word of those set over them.
' There is no end,' he said ; 'I will not be answered thus by
a girl who lives upon my bounty. It is my rede that thou
weddest Atli, or else thou goest hence. I have loved thee, and
for that love's sake I have borne thy wickedness, thy dark
secret ways, and evil words ; but I will be crossed no more by
thee, Swanhild.'
' Thou wouldst drive me hence with Groa my mother,
though perchance thou hast yet more reason to hold me dear,
foster-father. Fear not : I will go— perhaps further {han thou
thinkest,' and once more Swanhild laughed, and passed from
him into the darkness.
But Asmund stood looking after her. ' Truly,' he said in
his heart, ' ill- deeds are arrows that pierce him who shot them.
94 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
I have sowed evilly, and now I reap the harvest. What means
she with her talk of Gudruda and the rest ? '
Now as he thought, he saw men and horses draw near, and
one man, whose helm gleamed in the moonlight, bore some-
thing in his arms.
' Who passes ? ' he called,
* Eric Brighteyes, Skallagrim Lambstail, and Gudruda,
Asmund's daughter,' answered a voice ; ' who art thou ? '
Then Asmund the Priest sprang forward, most glad at
heart, for he never thought to see Eric again.
'Welcome, and thrice welcome art thou, Eric,' he cried;
' for, know, we deemed thee dead.'
' I have lately gone near to death, lord,' said Eric, for he
knew the voice ; * but I am hale and whole, though somewhat
weary.'
' What has come to pass, then ? ' asked Asmund, ' and why
boldest thou Gudruda in thy arms ? Is the maid dead ? '
' Nay, she does but swoon. See, even now she stirs,' and
as he spake Gudruda awoke, shuddering, and with a little cry
threw her arms about the neck of Eric.
He set her down and comforted her, then once more turned
to Asmund :
* Three things have come about,' he said. ' First, I
have slain one Baresark, and won another to be my thrall, and
for him I crave thy peace, for he has served me well. Next,
we two were set on by Ospakar Blacktooth and his fellow-
ship, and, fighting for our hands, have wounded Ospakar, slain
Mord his son, and six other men of his following.'
' That is good news and bad,' said Asmund, ' since Ospakar
will ask a great weregild l for these men, and thou wilt be
outlawed, Eric.'
* That may happen, lord. There is time enough to think
of it. Now there are other tidings to tell. Coming to the
head of Goldfoss I found Gudruda, my betrothed, mourning
my death and spoke with her. Afterwards I left her, and
presently returned again, to see her hanging over the gulf, and
Swanhild hurling rocks upon her to crush her.'
1 The penalty for manslaying.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 95
* These are tidings in truth,' said Asmund—' such tidings as
my heart feared ! Is this true, Gudruda ? '
' It is true, my father,' answered Gudruda, trembling. ' As
I sat on the brink of Goldfoss, Swanhild crept behind me and
thrust me into the gulf. There I clung above the waters, and
she brought a rock to hurl upon me, when suddenly I saw
Eric's face, and after that my mind left me and I can tell
no more.'
Now Asmund grew as one mad. He plucked at his beard
and stamped on the ground. ' Maid though she be,' he cried,
* yet shall Swanhild's back be broken on the Stone of Doom for
a witch and a murderess, and her body hurled into the pool of
faithless women, and the earth will be well rid of her ! '
Now Gudruda looked up and smiled : ' It would be ill to
wreak such a vengeance on her, father,' she said ; * and this
would also bring the greatest shame on thee, and all our house.
I am saved, by the mercy of the Gods and the might of Eric's
arm, and this is my counsel : that nothing be told of this tale,
but that Swanhild be sent away where she can harm us no
more.'
' She must be sent to the grave, then,' said Asmund, and
fell to thinking. Presently he spoke again : ' Bid yon man
fall back, I would speak with you twain,' and Skallagrim went
umbling.
* Hearken now, Eric and Gudruda : only an hour ago hath
tli the Good asked Swanhild of me in marriage. But now
I met Swanhild here, and her mien was wild. Still, I spoke
of the matter to her, and she would have none of it. Now,
this is my counsel : that choice be given to Swanhild, either
that she go hence Atli's wife, or take her trial in the Doom-
fg-'
' That will be bad for the Earl then,' said Eric. ' Methinks
is too good a man to be played on thus.'
' Bairn first, then friend,' answered Asmund.
'Now I will tell thee something that, till this hour, I
iiu,ve hidden from all, for it is my shame. This Swanhild is
my daughter, and therefore I have loved her and put away
her evil deeds, and she is half-sister to thee, Gudruda. See,
M
96 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
then, how sore is my strait, who must avenge daughter upon
daughter.'
1 Knows thy son Bjorn of this ? ' asked Eric.
* None knew it till this hour, except Groa and I.'
' Yet I have feared it long, father,' said Gudruda, * and
therefore I have also borne with Swanhild, though she
hates me much and has striven hard to draw my be-
trothed from me. Now thou canst only take one counsel, and
it is : to give choice to Swanhild of these two things, though
it is unworthy that Atli should be deceived, and at the best
little good can come of it.'
' Yet it must be done, for honour is often slain of heavy
need,' said Asmund. ' But we must first swear this Baresark
thrall of thine, though little faith lives in Baresark's breast.'
Now Eric called to Skallagrim and charged him strictly
that he should tell nothing of Swanhild, and of the wolf that
he saw by her, and of how Gudruda was found hanging over
the gulf.
' Fear not,' growled the Baresark, ' my tongue is now my
master's. What is it to me if women do their wickedness one
on another ? Let them work magic, hate and slay by stealth,
so shall evil be lessened in the world.'
* Peace ! ' said Eric ; ' if anything of this passes thy lips thou
art no longer a thrall of mine, and I give thee up to the men
of thy quarter.'
' And I cleave that wolf's head of thine down to thy hawk's
eyes ; but, otherwise, I give thee peace, and will hold thee from
harm, wood-dweller as thou art,' said Asmund.
The Baresark laughed : ' My hands will hold my head
against ten such mannikins as thou art, Priest. There was
never but one man who might overcome me in fair fight and
there he stands, and his bidding is my law. So waste no
words and make not niddering threats against greater folk,'
and he slouched back to his horse.
'A mighty man and a rough,' said Asmund, looking after
him ; * I like his looks little.'
4 Natheless a strong in battle,' quoth Eric ; ' had he not been
at my back some six hours gone, by now the ravens had torn
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 97
out these eyes of mine. Therefore, for my sake, bear with
him.'
Asmund said it should be so, and then they passed on to the
stead.
Here Eric stripped off his harness, washed, and bound
up his wounds. Then, followed by Skallagrim, axe in hand,
he came into the hall as men made ready to sit at meat. Now
the tale of the mighty deeds that he had done, except that of
the saving of Gudruda, had gone abroad, and as Brighteyes
came all men rose and with one voice shouted till the roof of
the great hall rocked :
1 Welcome, Eric Brighteyes, tliou glory of the south ! '
Only Bjorn, Asmund's son, bit his hand, and did not shout,
for he hated Eric because of the fame that he had won.
Brighteyes stood still till the clamour died, then said :
' Much noise for little deeds, brethren. It is true that I
overthrew the Mosfell Baresarks. See, here is one,' and he
turned to Skallagrim ; ' I strangled him in my arms on Mos-
fell' s brink, and that was something of a deed. Then he swore
fealty to me, and we are blood-brethren now, and therefore I
ask peace for him, comrades — even from those whom he has
wronged or whose kin he has slain. I know this, that when
thereafter we stood back to back and met the company of
Ospakar Blacktooth, who came to slay us — ay, and Asmund
also, and bear away Gudruda to be his wife —he warred right
gallantly, till seven of their band lay stiff on Horse-Head Heights,
overthrown of us, and among them Mord, Blacktooth 's son ; and
Ospakar himself went thence sore smitten of this Skallagrim.
Therefore, for my sake, do no harm to this man who was
Baresark, but now is my thrall ; and, moreover, I beg the aid
and friendship of all men of this quarter in those suits that
will be laid against me at the Althing for these slayings,
which I hereby give out as done by my hand, and by the hand
of Skallagrim Larnbstail, the Baresark.'
At these words all men shouted again ; but Atli the
Earl sprang from the high seat where Asmund had placed
him, and, coming to Eric, kissed him, and, drawing a gold chain
from his neck, flung it about the neck of Eric, crying :
98 ERIC BRIG HTE YES
Thou art a glorious man, Eric Brighteyes. I thought the
world had no more of such a breed. Listen to my bidding :
come thou to my earldom in Orkneys and be a son to me, and
I will give thee all good gifts, and, when I die, thou shalt sit
in my seat after me.'
But Eric thought of Swanhild, who must go from Iceland
as wife to Atli, and answered :
* Thou doest me great honour, Earl, but this may not be.
Where the fir is planted, there it must grow and fall. Iceland
I love, and I will stay here among my own people till I arn
driven away.'
' That may well happen, then,' said Atli, ' for be sure Os-
pakar and his kin will not let the matter of these slayings rest,
and I think that it will not avail thee much that thou sniotest
for thine own hand. Then, come thou and be my man.'
' Where the Norns lead there I must follow,' said Eric, and
sat down to meat. Skallagrim sat down also at the side-bench ;
but men shrank from him, and he glowered on them in answer.
Presently Gudruda entered, and she seemed pale and faint.
When he had done eating, Eric drew Gudruda on to his
knee, and she sat there, resting her golden head upon his
breast. But Swanhild did not come into the hall, though ever
Earl Atli sought her dark face and lovely eyes of blue, and he
wondered greatly how his wooing had sped. Still, at this time
he spoke no more of it to Asmund.
Now Skallagrim drank much ale, and glared about him
fiercely ; for he had this fault, that at times he was drunken.
In front of him sat two thralls of Asmund's ; they were brothers,
and large-made men, and they watched Asmund's sheep upon
the fells in winter. These two also grew drunk and jeered at
Skallagrim, asking him what atonement he would make for
those ewes of Asmund's that he had stolen last Yule, and how
it came to pass that he, a Baresark, had been overthrown of
an unarmed man.
Skallagrim bore their gibes for a space as he drank on, but
suddenly he rose and rushed at them, and, seizing a man's
throat in either hand, thrust them to the ground beneath him
and nearly choked them there.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
99
Then Eric ran down the hall, and, putting out his strength,
tore the Baresark from them.
'This then is thy peacefulness, thou wolf!' Eric cried.
1 Thou art drunk ! '
* Ay,' growled Skallagrim, ' ale is many a man's doom.'
' Have a care that it is not thine and mine, then ! ' said Eric.
* Go, sleep ; and know that, if I see thee thus once more, I see
thee not again.'
But after this men jeered no more at Skallagrim Lambs -
tail, Eric's thrall.
H2
100
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER XI
HOW SWANHILD BID FAEEWELL TO ERIC
Now all this while Asmund sat deep in thought ; but when, at
length, men were sunk in sleep, he took a candle of fat and
passed to the shut bed where Swanhild slept alone. She lay
on her bed, and her curling hair was all about her. She was
awake, for the light gleamed in her blue eyes, and on a naked
knife that was on the bed beside her, half hidden by her hair.
' What wouldst thou, foster-father ? ' she asked, rising in
the couch. Asmund closed the curtains, then looked at her
sternly and spoke in a low voice :
' Thou art fair to be so vile a thing, Swanhild,' he said.
' Who now would have dreamed that heart of thine could talk
with goblins and with were-wolves — that those eyes of thine
could bear to look on murder and those white hands find
strength to do the sin ? '
She held up her shapely arms and, looking on them, laughed.
' Would that they had been fashioned in a stronger mould,'
she said. ' May they wither in their woman's weakness ! else
had the deed been done outright. Now my crime is as heavy
on me and nothing gained by it. Say what fate for me,
foster-father — the Stone of Doom and the pool where faithless
women lie ? Ah, then might Gudruda laugh indeed, and I will
not live to hear that laugh. See,' and she gripped the dagger
at her side : « along this bright edge runs the path to peace
and freedom, and, if need be, I will tread it.'
* Be silent,' said Asmund. * This Gudruda, my daughter,
whom thou wouldst have foully done to death, is thine own
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 101
sister, and it is she who, pitying thee, hath pleaded for thy
life.'
* I will naught of her pity who have no pity,' she answered ;
* and this I say to thee who art my father : shame be on thee
who hast not dared to own thy child ! '
1 Hadst thou not been my child, Swanhild, and had I not
loved thee secretly as my child, be sure of this, I had long since
driven thee hence ; for my eyes have been open to much that
I have not seemed to see. But at length thy wickedness has
overcome my love, and I will see thy face no more. Listen :
none have heard of this shameful deed of thine save those who
saw it, and their tongues are sealed. Now I give thee choice :
wed Atli and go, or stand in the Doom-ring and take thy fate.'
' Have I not said, father, while death may be sought other-
wise, that I will never do this last ? Nor will I do the first.
I am not all of the tame breed of you Iceland folk— other and
quicker blood runs in my veins ; nor will I be sold in marriage
to a dotard as a mare is sold at a market. I have answered.'
' Fool ! think again, for I go not back upon iny word. Wed
Atli or die — by thy own hand, if thou wilt — there I will not
gainsay thee ; or, if thou fearest this, then anon in the Doom-
ring.'
Now Swanhild covered her eyes with her hands and shook
the long hair about her face, and she seemed wondrous fair to
Asmund the Priest who watched. And as she sat thus, it came
into her mind that marriage is not the end of a young maid's
life — that old husbands have been known to die, and that she
might rule this Atli and his earldom and become a rich and
honoured woman, setting her sails in such fashion that when
the wind turned it would fill them. Otherwise she must die
— ay, die shamed and leave Gudruda with her love.
Suddenly she slipped from the bed to the floor of the
chamber, and, clasping the knees of Asmund, looked up through
the meshes of her hair, while tears streamed from her beautiful
eyes :
* I have sinned,' she sobbed — * I have sinned greatly against
thee and my sister. Hearken : I was mad with love of Eric,
whom from a child I have turned to, and Gudruda is fairer than
102 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
I and she took him from me. Most of all was I mad this night
when I wrought the deed of shame, for ill things counselled me
—things that I did not call ; and oh, I thank the Gods— if
there are Gods — that Gudruda died not at my hand. See now,
father, J put this evil from me and tear Eric from my heart,'
and she made as though she rent her bosom — * I will wed
Atli, and be a good housewife to him, and I crave but this of
Gudruda : that she forgive me her wrong ; for it was not
done of my will, but of my madness, and of the driving of
those whom my mother taught me to know.'
Asmund listened and the springs of his love thawed within
him. ' Now thou dost take good counsel,' he said, ' and of this
be sure, that so long as thou art in that mood none shall
harm thee ; and for Gudruda, she is the most gentle of women,
and it may well be that she will put away thy sin. So weep
no more, and have no more dealings with thy Finnish witch-
craft, but sleep ; and to-morrow I will bear thy word to Atli, for
his ship is bound and thou must swiftly be made a wife.'
He went out, bearing the light with him ; but Swanhild
rose from the ground and sat on the edge of the bed, staring
into the darkness and shuddering from time to time.
'I shall soon be made his wife,' she murmured, 'who
would be but one man's wife— and methinks I shall soon be
made a widow also. Thou wilt have me, dotard— take me
and thy fate ! Well, well ; better to wed an Earl than to be
shamed and stretched across the Doom-stone. Oh, weak arms
that failed me at my need, no more will I put trust in
you ! When next I wound, it shall be with the tongue ; when
next I strive to slay, it shall be by another's hand. Curses
on thee, thou ill counsellor of darkness, who didst betray me
at the last ! Is it for this that I worshipped thee and swore
the oath ? '
The morning came, and at the first light Asmund sought the
Earl. His heart was heavy because of the guile that his
tongue must practise, and his face was dark as a winter dawn.
* What news, Asmund ? ' asked Atli. ' Early tidings are
bad tidings, so runs the saw, and thy looks give weight to it.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 103
' Not altogether bad, Earl. Swanhild gives herself to thee.'
' Of her own will, Asmund ? '
' Ay, of her own will. But I have warned thee of her
temper.'
' Her temper ! Little hangs to a maid's temper. Once a
wife and it will melt in softness like the snow when summer
comes. These are glad tidings, comrade, and methinks I grow
young again beneath the breath of them. Why art thou so
glum then ? '
* There is something that must yet be told of Swanhild,'
said Asmund. ' She is called the Fatherless, but, if thou
wilt have the truth, why here it is for thee— she is my daughter,
born out of wedlock, and I know not how that will please thee,'
Atli laughed aloud, and his bright eyes shone in his wrinkled
face. ' It pleases me well, Asmund, for then the maid is sprung
from a sound stock. The name of the Priest of Middalhof
is famous far south of Iceland ; and never hath Iceland bred a
comelier girl. Is that all ? '
* One more thing, Earl. This I charge thee : watch thy
wife, and hold her back from witchcraft and from dealings
with evil things and trolls of darkness. She is of Finnish blood
and the women of the Finns are much given to such wicked
work.'
' I set little store by witch work, goblins and their kin,'
said Atli. ' I doubt me much of their power, and I shall soon
wean Swanhild from such ways, if indeed she practise them.'
Then they fell to talking of Swanhild' s dower, and that was
not small. Afterwards Asmund sought Eric and Gudruda, and
told them what had come to pass, and they were glad at the
news, though they grieved for Atli the Earl. And when Swanhild
met Gudruda, she came to her humbly, and humbly kissed her
hand, and with tears craved pardon of her evil doing, saying
that she had bi><m mad ; nor did Gudruda withhold it, for of
all women she was the gentlest and the most forgiving. But to
Eric, Swanhild said nothing.
The wed dino- feast must be held on the third day from this,
for Atli would sail on that same day, since his people wearied of
waiting and his ship might lie bound no longer. Blithe was
104
BRIGHTEYES
Atli the Earl, and Swanhild was all changed, for now she seemed
the gentlest of maids, and, as befitted one about to be made a
wife, moved through the house with soft words and downcast
eyes. But Skallagrim, watching her, bethought him of the
grey wolf that he had seen by Goldfoss, and this seemed not
well to him.
' It would be bad now,' he said to Eric, as they rode to Cold-
back, ' to stand in yon old earl's shoes. This woman's weather
has changed too fast, and after such a calm there'll come a
storm indeed. I am now minded of Thorunna, for she went
just so the day before she gave herself to Ospakar, and me
to shame and bonds.'
* Talk not of the raven till you hear his croak,' said Eric.
' He is on the wing, lord,' answered Skallagrim.
Now Eric came to Coldback in the Marsh, and Saevuna his
mother and Unna, Thorod's daughter, the betrothed of Asmund,
were glad to welcome him ; for the tidings of his mighty deeds
and of the overthrow of Ospakar and the slaying of Mord
were noised far and wide. But at Skallagrim Lanibstail they
looked askance. Still, when they heard of those things that he
had wrought on Horse- Head Heights, they welcomed him for
his deeds' sake.
Eric sat two nights at Coldback, and on the second day
Saevuna his mother and Unna rode thence with their servants
to the wedding-feast of Swanhild the Fatherless. But Eric
stopped at Coldback that night, saying that he would be at
Middalhof within two hours of sunrise, for he must talk with
a shepherd who came from the fells.
Saevuna and her company came to Middalhof and was
asked, first by Gudruda, then by Swanhild, why Brighteyes
tarried. She answered that he would be there early on the
morrow. Next morning, before it was light, Eric girded on
Whitefire, took horse and rode from Coldback alone, for he
would not bring Skallagrim, fearing lest he should get
drunk at the feast and shed some man's blood.
It was Swanhild's wedding-day; but she greeted it with
little lightsomeness of heart, and her eyes knew no sleep that
night, though they were heavy with tears.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 105
At the first light she rose, and, gliding from the house,
walked through the heavy dew down the path by which
Eric must draw near, for she desired to speak with him.
Gudruda also rose a while after, though she did not know this,
and followed on the same path, for she would greet her lover
at his coming.
Now three furlongs or more from the stead stood a vetch
stack, and Swanhild waited on the further side of this stack.
Presently she heard a sound of singing come from behind the
shoulder of the fell and of the tramp of a horse's hoofs. Then
she saw the golden wings of Eric's helm all ablaze with the
sunlight as he rode merrily along, and great bitterness laid
hold of her that Eric could be of such a joyous mood on
the day when she who loved him must be made the wife of
another man.
Presently he was before her, and Swanhild stepped from
the shadow of the stack and laid her hand upon his horse's
bridle.
* Eric,' she said humbly and with bowed head, 'Gudruda
sleeps yet. Canst thou, then, find time to hearken to my
words ? '
lie frowned and said : ' Methinks, Swanhild, it would be
better if thou gavest thy words to him who is thy lord.'
She let the bridle-rein drop from her hands. * I am
jwered,' she said ; 'ride on.'
Now pity stirred in Eric's heart, for Swanhild's mien was
lost heavy, and he leaped down from his horse. 'Nay,' he
id, ' speak on, if thou hast anything to tell me.'
* I have this to tell thee, Eric : that now, before we part for
rer, I am come to ask thy pardon for my ill-doing — ay, and
wish all joy to thee and thy fair love,' and she sobbed and
loked.
Speak no more of it, Swanhild,' he said, ' but let thy
>d deeds cover up the ill, which are not small ; so thou shalt
happy.'
She looked at him strangely, and her face was white with
' How then are we so differently fashioned that thou,
106 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Eric, canst prate to me of happiness when my heart is racked
with grief ? Oh, Eric, I blame thee not, for thou hast not
wrought this evil on me willingly ; but I say this : that my
heart is dead, as I would that I were dead. See those
flowers : they smell sweet— for me they have no odour. Look
on the light leaping from Coldback to the sea, from the
sea to Westman Isles, and from the Westman crown of rocks
far into the wide heavens above. It is beautiful, is it not ?
Yet I tell thee, Eric, that now to my eyes howling winter
darkness is every whit as fair. Joy is dead within me, music's
but a jangled madness in my ears, food hath no savour on
my tongue, my youth is sped ere my dawn is day. Nothing
is left to me, Eric, save this fair body that thou didst scorn,
and the dreams which I may gather from my hours of scanty
sleep, and such shame as befalls a loveless bride.'
' Speak not so, Swanhild,' he said, and clasped her by the
hand, for, though he loathed her wickedness, being soft-hearted
and but young, it grieved him to hear her words and see the
anguish of her mind. For it is so with men, that they are
easily moved by the pleading of a fair woman who loves them,
even though they love her not.
' Yea, I will speak out all my mind before I seal it up for
ever. See, Eric, this is my state and thou hast set this crown
of sorrow on my brows : and thou comest singing down the fell,
and I go weeping o'er the sea ! I am not all so ill at heart.
It was love of thee that drove me down to sin, as love of thee
might otherwise have lifted me to holiness. But, loving thee
as thou seest, this day I wed a dotard, and go his chattel and
his bride across the sea, and leave thee singing on the fell,
and by thy side her who is my foe. Thou hast done great
deeds, Brighteyes, and still greater shalt thou do ; yet but as
echoes they shall reach my ears. Thou wilt be to me as
one dead, for it is Gudruda's to bind the byrnie on thy
breast when thou goest forth to war, and hers to loose the
winged helm from thy brow when thou returnest, battle-worn
and conquering.'
Now Swanhild ceased, and choked with grief; then spoke
again :
Eric and Swanhild saw her not.*
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 109
' So now farewell ; doubtless I weary thee, and— Gudruda
waits. Nay, look not on my foolish tears : they are the
heritage of woman, of naught else is she sure ! While I
live, Eric, morn by morn the thought of thee shall come to
wake me as the sun wakes yon snowy peak, and night by night
thy memory shall pass as at eve he passes from the valleys, but
to dawn again in dreams. For, Eric, 'tis thee I wed to-day—
at heart I am thy bride, thine and thine only ; and when shalt
thou find a wife who holds thee so dear as that Swanhild whom
once thou knewest ? So now farewell ! Yes, this time thou
shalt kiss away my tears ; then let them stream for ever. Thus,
Eric ! and thus ! and thus ! do I take farewell of thee.'
And now she clung about his neck, gazing on him with
great dewy eyes till things grew strange and dim, and he must
kiss her if only for her love and tender beauty's sake. And
so he kissed, and it chanced that as they clung thus, Gudruda,
passing by this path to give her betrothed greeting, came upon
them and stood astonished. Then she turned and, putting
her hands to her head, fled back swiftly to the stead, and
waited there, great anger burning in her heart ; for Gudruda
had this fault, that she was very jealous.
Now Eric and Swanhild did not see her, and presently they
parted, and Swanhild wiped her eyes and glided thence.
As she drew near the stead she found Gudruda watching.
' Where hast thou been, Swanhild ? ' she said.
* To bid farewell to Brighteyes, Gudruda.'
1 Then thou art foolish, for doubtless he thrust thee from
him.'
'Nay, Gudruda, he drew me to him. Hearken, I say,
thou sister. Vex me not, for I go my ways and thou goest
thine. Thou art strong and fair, and hitherto thou hast
overcome me. But I am also fair, and, if I find space to strike
in, I also have a show of strength. Pray thou that I find not
space, Gudruda. Now is Eric thine. Perchance one day he
may be mine. It lies in the lap of the Norns.'
* Fair words from Atli's bride,' mocked Gudruda.
' Ay, Atli's bride, but never Atli's love ! ' said Swanhild,
and swept on.
i io ERIC BRIGHTEYES
A while after Eric rode up. He was shamefaced and
vexed at heart, because he had yielded thus to Swanhild's
beauty, and been melted by her tender words and kissed her.
Then he saw Gudruda, and at the sight of her all thought of
Swanhild passed from him, for he loved Gudruda and her
alone. He leapt down from his horse and ran to her. But,
drawn to her full height, she stood with dark flashing eyes
and fair face set in anger.
Still, he would have greeted her loverwise ; but she lifted
her hand and waved him back, and fear took hold of him.
' What now, Gudruda ? ' he asked, faltering.
' What now, Eric ? ' she answered, faltering not. * Hast
seen Swanhild ? '
' Yea, I have seen Swanhild. She came to bid farewell to
me. What of it ? '
' What of it ? Why " thus ! and thus ! and thus ! " didst
thou bid farewell to Atli's bride. Ay, " thus and thus," with
clinging lips and twined arms. Warm and soft was thy fare-
well kiss to her who would have slain me, Brighteyes ! '
' Gudruda, thou speakest truth, though how thou sawest I
know not. Think no ill of it, and scourge me not with
words, for, sooth to say, I was melted by her grief and the
music of her talk.'
' It is shame to thee so to speak of her whom but now thou
heldest in thine arms. By the grief and the music of the
talk of her who would have murdered me thou wast melted
into kisses, Eric !— for I saw it with these eyes. Knowest
thou what I am minded to say to thee ? It is this : " Go
hence and see me no more ; " for I have little wish to cleave
to such a feather-man, to one so blown about by the first
breath of woman's tempting.'
'Yet, methinks, Gudruda, I have withstood some such
winds. I tell thee that, hadst thou been in my place, thyself
hadst yielded to Swanhild and kissed her in farewell, for she
was more than woman in that hour.'
' Nay, Eric, I am no weak man to be led astray thus. Yet
she is more than woman — troll is she also, that I know ; but
less than man art thou, Eric, thus to fall before her who
ERIC BRIGHTEYES in
hates me. Time may come when she shall woo thee after a
stronger sort, and what wilt thou say to her then, thou who
art so ready with thy kisses ? '
' I will withstand her, Gudruda, for I love thee only, and
this is well known to thee.'
' Truly I know thou lovest me, Eric ; but tell me of what
worth is this love of man that eyes of beauty and tongue
of craft may so readily bewray ? I doubt me of thee, Eric ! '
' Nay, doubt me not, Gudruda. I love thee alone, but I
grew soft as wax beneath her pleading. My heart consented
not, yet I did consent. I have no more to say.'
Now Gudruda looked on him long and steadfastly. ' Thy
plight is sorry, Eric,' she said, ' and this once I forgive thee.
Look to it that thou givest me no more cause to doubt thee,
for then I shall remember how thou didst bid farewell to
Swanhild.'
' I will give none,' he answered, and would have embraced
her ; but this she would not suffer then, nor for many days after,
for she was angry with him. But with Swanhild she was
still more angry, though she said nothing of it. That Swan-
hild had tried to murder her, Gudruda could forgive, for there
she had failed ; but not that she had won Eric to kiss her, for
in this she had succeeded well.
112
ERIC BRIG HTE YES
CHAPTER XII
HOW EBIC WAS OUTLAWED AND SAILED A-VIKINO-
fvT
\ I OW the marriage-feast went on, and Swanhild,
\| draped in white and girt about with gold, sat
by Atli's side upon the high seat. He was
fain of her and drew her to him, but she looked at him with
cold calm eyes in which hate lurked. The feast was done, and
all the company rode to the sea strand, where the Earl's ship
lay at anchor. They came there, and Swanhild kissed Asmund,
and talked a while with Groa, her mother, and bade fare well -to
all men. But she bade no farewell to Eric and to Gudruda.
* Why sayest thou no word to these two ? ' asked Atli, her
husband.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 113
* For this reason, Earl,' she answered, ' because ere long
we three shall meet again ; but I shall see Asmund, my
father, and Groa, my mother, no more.'
' That is an ill saying, wife,' said Atli. ' Methinks thou
dost foretell their doom.'
' Mayhap ! And now I will add to my redes, for I foretell
thy doom also : it is not yet, but it draws on.'
Then Atli bethought him of many wise saws, but spoke no
more, for it seemed to him this was a strange bride that he
had wed.
They hauled the anchor home, shook out the great sail,
and passed away into the evening light. But while land
could still be seen, Swanhild stood near the helm, gazing with
her blue eyes upon the lessening coast. Then she passed to
the hold, and shut herself in alone, and there she stayed, saying
that she was sick, till at length, after a fair voyage of twenty
days, they made the Orkney Islands.
But all this pleased Atli wondrous ill, yet he dared not
cross her mood.
Now, in Iceland the time drew on when men must ride to
the Althing, and notice was given to Eric Brighteyes of many
suits that were laid against him, in that he had brought
Mord, Ospakar's son, to his death, dealing him a brain or a
body or a marrow wound, and others of that company. But
no suits were laid against Skallagrim, for he was already out-
law. Therefore he must go in hiding, for men were out to
slay him, and this he did unwillingly, at Eric's bidding.
Asmund took up Eric's case, for he was the most famous of
all lawmen in that day, and when thirteen full weeks of summer
were done, they two rode to the Thing, and with them a great
mpany of men of their quarter.
Now, men go up to the Logberg, and there came Ospakur,
though he was not yet healed of his wound, and all his com-
pany, and laid their suits against Eric by the mouth of Gizur
the Lawman, Ospakar's son. The pleadings were long and
cunning on either side ; but the end of it was that Ospakar
brought it about, by the help of his friends — and of these he had
I
K:
II4 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
many— that Eric must go into outlawry for three years. But
no weregild was to be paid to Ospakar and his men for those
who had been killed, and no atonement for the great wound
that Skallagrim Lambstail gave him, or for the death of
Mord, his son, inasmuch as Eric fought for his own hand to
save his life.
The party of Ospakar were ill pleased at this finding, and
Eric was not over glad, for it was little to his mind that he
should sail a-warring across the seas, while Gudruda sat at
home in Iceland. Still, there was no help for the matter.
Now Ospakar spoke with his company, and the end of it
was that he called on them to take their weapons and avenge
themselves by their own might. Asmund and Eric, seeing
this, mustered their array of free-men and thralls. There
were one hundred and five of them, all stout men ; but Ospakar
Blacktooth's band numbered a hundred and thirty-three, and
they stood with their backs to the Eaven's Rift.
'Now I would that Skallagrim was here to guard my
back,' said Eric, ' for before this fight is done few will be left
standing to tell its tale.'
' It is a sad thing,' said Asmund, ' that so many men must
die because some men are now dead.'
* A very sad thing,' said Eric, and took this counsel. He
stalked alone towards the ranks of Ospakar and called in a
loud voice, saying :
' It would be grievous that so many warriors should fall in
such a matter. Now hearken, you company of Ospakar Black-
tooth ! If there be any two among you who will dare to
match their might against my single sword in holmgang,
here I, Eric Brighteyes, stand and wait them. It is better
that one man, or perchance three men, should fall, than that
anon so many should roll in the dust. What say ye ? '
Now all those who watched called out that this was a good
offer and a manly one, though it might turn out ill for Eric ;
but Ospakar answered :
' Were I but well of my wound I alone would cut that
golden comb of thine, thou braggart ; as it is, be sure that
two shall be found.'
ERTC BRIGHTEYES 115
1 Who is the braggart ? ' answered Eric. ' He who twice
has learned the weight of this arm and yet boasts his strength,
or I who stand craving that two should come against me ?
Get thee hence, Ospakar ; get thee home and bid Thorunna,
thy leman, whom thou didst beguile from that Ounound who
now is named Skallagrim Lambstail the Baresark, nurse thee
whole of the wound her husband gave thee. Be sure we shall
yet stand face to face, and that combs shall be cut then, combs
black or golden. Nurse thee ! nurse thee ! cease thy prating
—get thee home, and bid Thorunna nurse thee ; but first name
thou the two who shall stand against me in holmgang in
Oxara's stream.'
Folk laughed aloud while Eric mocked, but Ospakar gnashed
his teeth with rage. Still, he named the two mightiest men
in his company, bidding them take up their swords against
JU'ighteyes. This, indeed, they were loth to do ; still, because
of the shame that they must get if they hung back, and for
fear of the wrath of Ospakar, they made ready to obey his
bidding.
Then all men passed down to the bank of Oxara, and, on
the other side, people came from their booths and sat upon
the slope of All Man's Raft, for it was a new thing that one
man should fight two in holmgang.
Now Eric crossed to the island where holmgangs are
fought to this day, and after him came the two chosen,
flourishing their swords bravely, and taking counsel how one
should rush at his face, while the other passed behind his back
and spitted him, as woodfolk spit a lamb. Eric drew White-
fire and leaned on it, waiting for the word, and all the
women held him to be wondrous fair as, clad in his byrnie
and his golden helm, he leaned thus on Whitefire. Presently
the word was given, and Eric, standing not to defend him-
self as they deemed he surely would, whirled Whitefire round
his helm and rushed headlong on his foes, shield aloft.
The great carles saw the light that played on Whitefire's
edge and the other light that burned in Eric's eyes, and terror
got hold of them. Now he was almost come, and Whitefire
sprang aloft like a tongue of flame. Then they stayed no more,
n6 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
but, running one this way and one that, cast themselves into
the flood and swam for the river- edge. Now from either bank
rose up a roar of laughter, that grew and grew, till it echoed
against the lava rifts and scared the ravens from their nests.
Eric, too, stopped his charge and laughed aloud ; then
walked back to where 'Asmund stood, unarmed, to second him
in the holmgang.
' I can get little honour from such champions as these,' he
said.
' Nay,' answered Asmund, ' thou hast got the greatest
honour, and they, and Ospakar, such shame as may not be
wiped out.'
Now when Blacktooth saw what had come to pass, he well-
nigh choked, and fell from his horse in fury. Still, he could
find no stomach for fighting, but, mustering his company, rode
straightway from the Thing home again to Swinetell. But
he caused those two whom he had put up to do battle with
Eric to be set upon with staves and driven from his following,
and the end of it was that they might stay no more in Ice-
land, but took ship and sailed south, and now they are out of
the story.
On the next day, Asmund, and with him Eric and all their
men, rode back to Middalhof . Gudruda greeted Eric well, and
for the first time since Swanhild went away she kissed him.
Moreover, she wept bitterly when she learned that he must
go into outlawry, while she must bide at home.
' How shall the days pass by, Eric ? ' she said, ' when thou
art far, and I know not where thou art, nor how it goes with
thee, nor if thou livest or art already dead ? '
' In sooth I cannot say, sweet,' he answered ; * but of this
I am sure that, wheresoever I am, yet more weary shall be my
hours.' *
' Three years,' she went on — ' three long, cold years, and no
sight of thee, and perchance no tidings from thee, till mayhap
I learn that thou art in that land whence tidings cannot come.
Oh, it would be better to die than to part thus.'
' Well I wot that it is better to die than to live, and better
never to have been born than to live and die,' answered Eric
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 117
sadly. ' Here, it would seem, is nothing but hate and strife,
weariness and bitter envy to fret away our strength, and at
last, if we come so far, sorrowful age and death, and thereafter
we know not what. Little of good do we find to our hands,
and much of evil ; nor know I for what ill-doing these burdens
are laid upon us. Yet must we needs breathe such an air as is
blown about us, Gudruda, clasping at that happiness which
is given, though we may not hold it. At the worst, the game
will soon be played, and others will stand where we have
stood, and strive as we have striven, and fail as we have
failed, and so on, till man has worked out his doom, and the
Gods cease from their wrath, or Kagnarrok come 'upon them,
and they too are lost in the jaws of grey wolf Fenrir.'
' Men may win one good thing, and that is fame, Eric.'
' Nay, Gudruda, what is it to win fame ? Is it not to
raise up foes, as it were, from the very soil, who, mad with
secret hate, seek to stab us in the back ? Is it not to lose
peace, and toil on from height to height only to be hurled
down at last ? Happy, then, is the man whom fame flies from,
for hers is a deadly gift.'
' Yet there is one thing left that thou hast not num-
bered, Eric, and it is love — for love is to our life what the sun
is to the world, and, though it seems to set in death, yet it
may rise again. We are happy, then, in our love, for there are
many who live their lives and do not find it.'
So these two, Eric Brighteyes and Gudruda the Fair, talked
sadly, for their hearts were heavy, and on them lay the shadow
of sorrows that were to come.
' Say, sweet,' said Eric at length, l wilt thou that I go not
into banishment ? Then I must fall into outlawry, and my life
will be in the hands of him who may take it ; yet I think that
my foes will find it hard to come by while my strength re-
mains, and at the worst I do but turn to meet the fate that
dogs me.'
' Nay, that I will not suffer, Brighteyes. Now we will go to
my father, and he shall give thee his dragon of war — she is a
good vessel — and thou shalt man her with the briskest men of
our quarter : for there are many who will be glad to fare abroad
n8 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
with thee, Eric. Soon she shall be bound and thou shalt sail
at once, Eric : for the sooner thou art gone the sooner the
three years will be sped, and thou shalt come back to me.
But, oh ! that I might go with thee.'
Now Gudruda and Eric went to Asmund and spoke of this
matter.
'I desired,' he answered, 'that thou, Eric, shouldst
bide here in Iceland till after harvest, for it is then that I
would take Unna, Thorod's daughter, to wife, and it was
meet that thou shouldst sit at the wedding-feast and give her
to me.'
'Nay, father, let Eric go,' said Gudruda, 'for well begun is,
surely, half done. He must remain three years in outlawry :
add thou no day to them, for, if he stays here for long, I know
this : that I shall find no heart to let him go, and, if go he
must, then I shall go with him.'
' That may never be,' said Asmund ; ' thou art too young
and fair to sail a-viking down the sea-path. Hearken, Eric : I
give thee the good ship, and now we will go about to find stout
men to man her.'
' That is a good gift,' said Eric ; and afterwards they rode
to the seashore and overhauled the vessel as she lay in her
shed. She was a great dragon of war, long and slender, and
standing high at stem and prow. She was fashioned of oak,
all bolted together with iron, and at her prow was a gilded
dragon most wonderfully carved.
Eric looked on her and his eyes brightened.
' Here rests a wave-horse that shall bear a viking well,' he
said.
' Ay,' answered Asmund, ' of all the things I own this ship
is the very best. She is so swift that none may catch her, and
she can almost go about in her own length. That gale must
be heavy that shall fill her, with thee to steer ; yet I give her to
thee freely, Eric, and thou shalt do great deeds with this my
gift, and, if things go well, she shall come back to this shore at
last, and thou in her.'
'Now I will name this war-gift with a new name,'
said Eric. '"Gudruda,"! name her: for, as Gudruda here
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 119
the fairest of all women, so is this the fairest of all war-
a,gons.'
' So be it,' said Asmund.
Then they rode back to Middalhof, and now Eric Bright-
res let it be known that he needed men to sail the seas with
him. Nor did he ask in vain, for, when it was told that Eric
went a-viking, so great was his fame grown, that many a stout
yeoman and many a great-limbed carle reached down sword
and shield and came up to Middalhof to put their hands in
his. For mate, he took a certain man named Hall of Lithdale,
and this because Bjorn asked it, for Hall was a friend to Bjorn,
and he had, moreover, great skill in all manner of seamanship,
and had often sailed the Northern Seas — ay, and round England
to the coast of France.
But when Gudruda saw this man, she did not like him, be-
cause of his sharp face, uncanny eyes, and smooth tongue, and
she prayed Eric to have nothing to do with him.
' It is too late now to talk of that,' said Eric. ' Hall is a
well-skilled man, and, for the rest, fear not : I will watch him.'
' Then evil will come of it,' said Gudruda.
Skallagrim also liked Hall little, nor did Hall love Skalla-
grim and his great axe.
At length all were gathered ; they were fifty in number
and it is said that no such band of men ever took ship from
Iceland.
Now the great dragon was bound and her faring goods were
aboard of her, for Eric must sail on the morrow, if the wind
should be fair. All day long he stalked to and fro among his
men ; he would trust nothing to others, and there was no sword
or shield in his company but he himself had proved it. All
day long he stalked, and at his back went Skallagrim Lambs-
tail, axe on shoulder, for he would never leave Eric if he had
his' will, and they were a mighty pair.
At length all was ready and men sat down to the faring-
feast in the hall at Middalhof, and that was a great feast.
Eric's folk were gathered on the side-benches, and by the high
seat at Asmund' s side sat Brightcyes, and near to him were
Bjorn, Asmund's son, Gudruda, Unna, Asmund's betrothed,
120 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
and Saevuna, Eric's mother. For this had been settled
between Asmund and Eric, that his mother Saevuna, who was
now somewhat sunk in age, should flit from Coldback and come
with Unna to dwell at Middalhof. But Eric set a trusty
grieve to dwell at Coldback and mind the farm.
When the faring- toasts had been drunk, Eric spoke to
Asmund and said : ' I fear one thing, lord, and it is that when
I am gone Ospakar will trouble thee. Now, I pray you all to
beware of Blacktooth, for, though the hound is whipped, he
can still bite, and it seems that he has not yet put Gudruda
from his mind.'
Now Bjorn had sat silently, thinking much and drinking
more, for he loved Eric less than ever on this day when he
saw how all men did him honour and mourned his going, and
his father not the least of them.
' Methinks it is thou, Eric,' he said, l whom Ospakar hates,
and thee on whom he would work his vengeance, and that for
no light cause.'-
' When bad fortune sits in thy neighbour's house, she knocks
upon thy door, Bjorn. Gudruda, thy sister, is my betrothed, and
thou art a party to this feud,' said Eric. ' Therefore it becomes
thee better to hold her honour and thy own against this
Northlander, than to gird at me for that in which I have no
blame.'
Bjorn grew wroth at these words. ' Prate not to me,' he
said. ' Thou art an upstart who wouldst teach their duty to
thy betters — ay, puffed up with light- won fame, like a feather
on the breeze. But I say this : the breeze shall fail, and thou
shalt fall upon the goose's back once more. And I say this also,
that, had I my will, Gudruda should wed Ospakar : for he is a
mighty chief, and not a long-legged carle, outlawed for
man -slaying.'
Now Eric sprang from his seat and laid hand upon the hilt
of Whitefire, while men murmured in the hall, for they held
this an ill speech of Bjorn's.
' In thee, it seems, I have no friend,' said Eric, ' and hadst
thou been any other man than Gudruda's brother, forsooth
thou shouldst answer for thy mocking words. This I tell
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 121
thee, Bjorn, that, wert thou twice her brother, if thou plottest
with Ospakar when I am gone, thou shalt pay dearly for it
when I come back again. 1 know thy heart well : it is cunning
and greedy of gain, and filled with envy as a cask with ale ;
yet, if thou lovest to feel it beating in thy breast, strive not to
work me mischief and to put Gudruda from me.'
Now Bjorn sprang up also and drew his sword, for he was
white with rage ; but Asmund his father cried, ' Peace ! ' in a
great voice.
' Peace ! ' he said. * Be seated, Eric, and take no heed of
this foolish talk. And for thee, Bjorn, art thou the Priest of
Middalhof, and Gudruda's father, or am I ? It has pleased
me to betroth Brighteyes to Gudruda, and it pleased me not
to betroth her to Ospakar, and that is enough for thee. For
the rest, Ospakar would have slain Eric, not he Ospakar,
therefore Eric's hands are clean. Though thou art my son, I
say this, that, if thou workest ill to Eric when he is over sea,
thou shalt rightly learn the weight of Whitefire : it is a nidder-
ing deed to plot against an absent man.'
Eric sat down, but Bjorn strode scowling from the hall,
and, taking horse, rode south ; nor did he and Eric meet again
till three years were come and gone, and then they met but
once.
' Maggots shall be bred of that fly, nor shall they lack flesh
to feed on,' said Skallagrim in Eric's ears as he watched Bjorn
pass. But Eric bade him be silent, and turned to Gudruda.
' Look not so sad, sweet,' he said, ' for hasty words rise
like the foam on mead and pass as soon. It vexes Bjorn
that thy father has given me the good ship : but his anger
will soon pass, or, at the very worst, I fear him not while thou
art true to me.'
' Then thou hast little to fear, Eric,' she answered. ' Look
now on thy hair : it grows long as a woman's, and that is ill,
for at sea the salt will hang to it. Say, shall I cut it for
thee ? '
' Yes, Gudruda.'
So she cut his yellow locks, and one of them lay upon her
heart for many a day.
122 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 Now thou shalt swear to me,' she whispered in his ear,
' that no other man or woman shall cut thy hair till thou
comest back to me and I clip it again.'
' That I swear, and readily,' he answered. * I will go
long-haired like a girl for thy sake, Gudruda.'
He spoke low, but Koll the Half-witted, Groa's thrall,
heard this oath and kept it in his mind.
Very early on the morrow all men rose, and, taking horse,
rode once more to the seaside, till they came to that shed where
the Gudruda lay.
Then, when the tide was high, Eric's company took hold of
the black ship's thwarts, and at his word dragged her with might
and main. She ran down the greased blocks and sped on
quivering to the sea, and as her dragon-prow dipped in the
water people cheered aloud.
Now Eric must bid farewell to all, and this he did with a
brave heart till at the last he came to Saevuna, his mother,
and Gudruda, his dear love.
1 Farewell, son,' said the old dame ; * I have little hope
that these eyes shall look again upon that bonny face of
thine, yet I am well paid for thy birth-pains, for few have
borne such a man as thou. Think of me at times, for without
me thou hadst never been. Be not led astray of women, nor
lead them astray, or ill shall overtake thee. Be not quarrel-
some because of thy great might, for there is a stronger than
the strongest. Spare a fallen foe, and take not a poor man's
goods or a brave man's sword ; but, when thou smitest, smite
home. So shalt thou win honour, and, at the last, peace, that
is more than honour.
Eric thanked her for her counsel and kissed her, then
turned to Gudruda, who stood, white and still, plucking at her
golden girdle.
1 What can I say to thee ? ' he asked.
' Say nothing, but go,' she answered : ' go before I weep.'
' Weep not, Gudruda, or thou wilt unman me. Say, thou
wilt think on. me ? '
' Ay, Eric, by day and by night.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 123
* And thou wilt be true to me ? '
' Ay, till death and after, for so long as thou cleavest to
me I will cleave to thee. I will first die rather than betray
thee. But of thee I am not so sure. Perchance thou mayst
find SwanMLd in thy journeyings and crave more kisses of
her?'
1 Anger me not, Gudruda ! thou knowest well that I hate
Swanhild more than any woman. When I kiss her again, then
thou mayst wed Ospakar.'
' Speak not so rashly, Eric,' she said, and as she spoke
Skallagrim drew near.
1 If thou lingerest here, lord, the tide will serve us little
round Westmans,' he said, eyeing Gudruda as it were with
jealousy.
' I come,' said Eric. ' Gudruda, fare thee well ! '
She kissed him and clung to him, but did not answer, for
she could not speak.
124
ERIC BRTGHTEYES
CHAPTER XIII
HOW HALL THE MATE CUT THE GRAPNEL CHAIN
UDRUDA bent her head like
a drooping flower, and pre-
sently sank to earth, for her
knees would bear her weight
.no more ; but Eric marched to the lip of the
sea, his head held high and laughing merrily
to hide his pain of heart. Here stood Asmund, who gripped
him by both hands, and kissed him on the brow, bidding him
good luck.
' I know not whether we shall meet again,' he said ; ' but,
if my hours be sped before thou returnest, this I charge thee :
that thou mindest Gudruda well, for she is the sweetest of
all women that I have known, and I hold her the most dear.'
' Fear not for that, lord,' said Eric ; ' and I pray tfiee this,
that, if I come back no more, as well may happen, do not force
Gudruda into marriage, if she wills it not, and I think she
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 125
vill have little leaning that way. And I say this also : do not
>unt overmuch on Bjorn thy son, for he has no loyal heart ;
id beware of Groa, who was thy housekeeper, for she loves not
lat Unna should take her place and more. And now I thank
lee for many good things, and farewell.'
'Farewell, my son,' said Asmund, 'for in this hour thou
jmest as a son to me.'
Eric turned to enter the sea and wade to the vessel, but
>kallagrim caught him in his arms as though he were but
a child, and, wading into the surf till the water covered his
waistbelt, bore him to the vessel and lifted him up so that Eric
reached the bulwarks with his hands.
Then they loosed the cable and got out the oars and soon
were dancing over the sea. Presently the breeze caught them,
and they set the great sail and sped away like a gull towards
the Westman Isles. But Gudruda sat on the shore watching
till, at length, the light faded from Eric's golden helm as he
stood upon the poop, and the world grew dark to her.
Now Ospakar Blacktooth had news of this sailing and
took counsel of Gizur his son, and the end of it was that they
made ready two great ships, dragons of war, and, placing
sixty fighting men in each of them, sailed round the Iceland
coast to the Westmans and waited there to waylay Eric.
They had spies on the land, and from them they learned of
Brighteyes' coming, and sailed out to meet him in the channel
between the greater and the lesser islands, where they knew
that he must pass.
Now it drew towards evening when Eric rowed down this
channel, for the wind had fallen and he desired to be clear at
sea. Presently, as the Gudruda came near to the mouth of
the channel, that had high cliffs on either hand, Eric saw two
long dragons of war — for their bulwarks were shield-hung —
glide from the cover of the island and take their station side by
side between him and the open sea.
' Now here are vikings,' said Eric to Skallagrim.
' Now here is Ospakar Blacktooth,' answered Skallagrim,
1 for well I know that raven banner of his. This is a good
126 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
voyage, for we must seek but a little while before we come to
lighting.'
Eric bade the men lay on their oars, and spoke :
' Before us is Ospakar Blacktooth with two great dragons,
and he is here to cut us off. Now two choices are left to us :
one is to bout ship and run before him, and the other to row on
and give him battle. What say ye, comrades ? '
Hall of Lithdale, the mate, answered, saying :
* Let us go back, lest we die. The odds are too great,
Eric.'
But a man among the crew cried out, ' When thou
didst go on holmgang at Thingvalla, Eric, Ospakar 's two
chosen champions stood before thee, yet at Whitefire's flash
they skurried through the water like startled ducks. It was an
omen, for so shall his great ships fly when we swoop on them.'
lihen the others shouted :
* Ay, ay ! Never let it be said that we fled from Ospakar
— fie on thy woman's talk, Hall ! '
' Then we are all of one mind, save Hall only,' said Eric.
'Let us put Ospakar to the proof.' And while men shouted
* Yea ! ! he turned to speak with Skallagrim. The Baresark was
gone, for, wasting no breath in words, already he was fixing
the long shields on the bulwark rail.
The men busked on their harness and made them fit for
fight, and, when all was ready, Eric mounted the poop, and
with him Skallagrim, and bade the rowers give way. The
Gudruda leapt forward and rushed on towards Ospakar 's
ships. Now they saw that these were bound together with a
cable and yet they must go betwixt them.
Eric ran forward to the prow, and with him Skallagrim,
ailrl called aloud to a- great man who stood upon the ship to
starboard, wearing a black helm with raven's wings :
1 Who art thou that bars the seas against me ? '
'I am named Ospakar Blacktooth,' answered the great
man.
' And what must we lose at thy hands, Ospakar ? '
* But one thing — your lives ! ' answered Blacktooth.
' Thrice have we stood face to face, Ospakar,' said Eric,
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 127
' and it seems that hitherto thou hast won no great glory.
Now it shall be proved if thy luck has bettered.'
' Art yet healed, lord, of that prick in the shoulder which
thou earnest 'by on Horse-Head Heights ? ' roared Skallagrim.
For answer, Oskapar seized a spear and hurled it straight
at Eric, and it had been his death had he not caught it in
his hand as it flew. Then he cast it back, and that so mightily
that it sped right through the shield of Ospakar and was the
bane of a man who stood beside him.
' A gift for a gift ! ' laughed Eric. On rushed the Gudruda,
but now the cable was strained six fathoms from her bow that
held together the ships of Ospakar and it was too strong for
breaking. Eric looked and saw. Then he drew Whitenre,
and while all men wondered, leaped over the prow of the ship
and, clasping the golden dragon's head with his arm, set his
feet upon its claws and waited. On sped the ship and spears
flew thick and fast about him, but there Brighteyes hung.
Now the Gudruda's bow caught the great rope and strained
it taut and, as it rose beneath her weight, Eric smote swift and
strong with Whitenre and clove it in two, so that the severed
ends fell with a splash into the quiet water.
Eric sprang back to deck while stones and spears hissed
about him.
' That was well done, lord,' said Skallagrim; 'now we
shall be snugly berthed.'
P.n oars and out grappling-irons,' shouted Eric,
p rose the rowers, and their war-gear rattled as they rose.
They drew in the long oars, and not before it was time, for
now the Gudruda forced her way between the two dragons of
Ospakar and lay with her bow to their sterns. Then with a
shout Eric's men cast the irons and soon the ships were locked
fast and the fight began. The spears flew thick, and on either
side some got their death before them. Then the men of that
vessel, named the Raven, which was to larboard of the Gudruda
made ready to board. On they came with a rush, and were
driven back, though hardly, for they were many, and those
who stood against them few. Again they came, scrambling
over the bulwarks, and this time a score of them leapt aboard.
128 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Eric turned from the fight against the dragon of Ospakar and
saw it. Then, with Skallagrim, he rushed to meet the boarders
as they swarmed along the hold, and naught might they
withstand the axe and sword.
Through and through them swept the mighty pair, now
Whitefire flashed, and now the great axe fell, and at every
stroke a man lay dead or wounded. Six of the boarders
turned to fly, but just then the grappling-iron broke, and their
ship drifted out with the tide towards the open sea, and pre-
sently no man of that twenty was left alive.
Now the men of the ship of Ospakar and of the Gudruda
pressed each other hard. Thrice did Ospakar strive to come
aboard and thrice he was pushed back. Eric was ever where
he was most needed, and with him Skallagrim, for these two
threw themselves about from side to side, and were now here
and now there, so that it seemed as though there were not
one golden helm and one black, but rather four on board the
Gudruda.
Eric looked and saw that the other ship was drawing round,
though somewhat slowly, to come alongside of them once more.
* Now we must make an end of Ospakar, else our hands
will be overfull,' he said, and therewith sprang up upon the
bulwarks and after him many men. Once they were driven
back, but came on again, and now they thrust all Ospakar's men
before them and passed up his ship on both boards. By the
mast stood Ospakar and with him Gizur his son, and Eric
strove to come at him. But many men were between them,
and he could not do this.
Presently, while the fight yet went on hotly and men fell
fast, Brighteyes felt the dragon of Ospakar strike, and, looking,
saw that they had drifted with the send of the tide on to the
rocks of the island. There was a great hole in the hull amid-
ships and the water rushed in fast.
' Back ! men ; back ! ' he cried, and all his folk that were
unhurt, ran, and leapt on board the Gudruda ; but Ospakar and
his men sprang into the sea and swam for the shore. Then
Skallagrim cut loose the grappling-irons with his axe, and that
not too soon, for, scarcely had they pushed clear with great
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 129
toil when the long warship slipped from the rock and foundered,
taking many dead and wounded men with her.
Now Ospakar and some of his people stood safe upon the
rocks, and Eric called to him in mockery, bidding him come
aboard the Gudruda.
Ospakar made no answer, but stood gnawing his hand,
while the water ran from him. Only Gizur his son cursed
them aloud.
Eric was greatly minded to follow them, and land and fight
them there ; but he might not do this, because of the rocks and
of the other dragon, that hung about them, fearing to come
on and yet not willing to go back.
' We will have her, at the least, said Eric, and bade the
rowers get out their oars.
Now, when the men on board the other ship saw the
Gudruda drawing on, they took to their oars at once and
rowed swiftly for the sea, and at this a great roar of laughter
went down Eric's ship.
' They shall not slip from us so easily,' said Eric ; ' give
way, comrades, and after them.'
But the men were much wearied with fighting, and the decks
were all cumbered with dead and wounded, so that by the time
that the Gudruda had put about, and come to the mouth of the
waterway, Ospakar's vessel had shaken out her sails and caught
the wind, that now blew strong off shore, and sped away six
furlongs or more from Eric's prow.
' Now we shall see how the Gudruda sails,' said Eric, and
they spread their canvas and gave chase.
Then Eric bade men clear the decks of the dead, and tend
the wounded. He had lost seven men slain outright, and three
were wounded, one to death. But on board the ship there lay
of Ospakar's force twenty and three dead men.
When all were cast into the sea, men ate and rested.
' We have not done so badly,' said Eric to Skallagrim.
' We shall do better yet,' said Skallagrim to Eric ; ' rather
had I seen Ospakar's head lying in the scuppers than those of
all his carles ; for he may get more men, but never another
head ! '
1 30 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Now the wind freshened till by midnight it blew strongly.
The mate Hall came to Eric and said :
* The Gudruda dips her nose deep in Ean's cup. Say,
Eric, shall we shorten sail ? '
' Nay,' answered Eric, ' keep her full and bail. Where yon-
der Eaven flies, my Sea-stag must follow,' and he pointed to
the warship that rode the waves before them.
After midnight clouds came up, with rain, and hid the face
of the night-sun and the ship they sought. The wind blew
ever harder, till at length, when the rain had passed and the
clouds lifted, there was much water in the hold and the bailers
could hardly stand at their work.
Men murmured, and Hall the mate murmured most of all ;
but still Eric held on, for there, not two furlongs ahead of
them, rode the dragon of Ospakar. But now, being afraid of
the wind and sea, she had lowered her sail somewhat, and
made as though she would put about and run for Iceland.
' That she may not do,' called Eric to Skallagrim, * if once
she rolls side on to those seas Ban has her, for she must fill
and sink.'
1 So they hold, lord,' answered Skallagrim ; ' see, once more
she runs ! '
' Ay, but we run faster— she is outsailed. Up, men, up : for
presently the fight begins '
'It is bad to join battle in such a sea,' quoth Hall.
* Good or bad,' growled Skallagrim, * do thou thy lord's
bidding,' and he half lifted up his axe.
The mate said no more, for he misdoubted him of Skalla-
grim Lambstail and his axe.
Then men made ready for the fray as best they might,
and stood, sword in hand and drenched with foam, clinging to
the bulwarks of the Gudruda as she wallowed through the seas.
Eric went aft to the helm and seized it. Now but a length
ahead Ospakar's ship laboured on beneath her small sail, but
the Gudruda rushed towards her with all canvas set and at
every leap plunged her golden dragon beneath the surf and
shook the water from her foredeck.
' Make ready the grapnel ! ' shouted Eric through the storm.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 131
Skallagrim seized the iron and stood by. Now the Gudruda
rushed alongside the Raven, and Eric steered so skilfully that
there was a fathom space, and no more, between the ships.
Skallagrim cast the iron well and truly, so that it hooked
and held. On sped the Gudruda and the cable tautened — now
her stern kissed the bow of Ospakar's ship, as though she was
towing her, and thus for a space they travelled through the seas.
Eric's folk shouted and strove to cast spears ; but they did
this but ill, because of the rocking of the vessel. As for
Ospakar's men, they clung to the bulwarks and did nothing, for
all the heart was out of them between fear of Eric and terror
of the sea. Eric called to a man to hold the helm, and Skalla-
grim crept aft to where he stood.
* What counsel shall we take now ? ' said Eric, and as he
spoke a sea broke over them — for the gale was strong.
'Board them and make an end,' answered Skallagrim.
' Rough work ; still, we will try it,' said Eric, * for we may
not lie thus for long, and I am loath to leave them.'
Then Eric called for men to follow him, and many
answered, creeping as best they might to where he stood.
' Thou art mad, Eric,' said Hall the mate ; ' cut loose and
let us drive, else we shall both founder, and that is a poor talp
to tell.'
Eric took no heed, but, watching his chance, leapt on to the
bows of the Raven, and after him leapt Skallagrim. Even as
he did so, a great sea came and swept past and over them, so
that half the ship was hid for foam. Now, Hall the mate
stood near to the grapnel cable, and, fearing lest they should
sink, out of the cowardice of his heart, he let his axe fall upon
the chain, and severed it so swiftly that no man saw him,
except Skallagrim only. Forward sprang the Gudruda, freed
from her burden, and rushed away before the wind, leaving
Eric and Skallagrim alone upon the Raven's prow.
* Now we are in evil plight,' said Eric, ' the cable has
parted ! '
* Ay,' answered Skallagrim, ' and that losel Hall hath
parted it ! I saw his axe fall.'
K2
I32 ERIC BRIG HTE YES
CHAPTER XIV
HOW ERIC DREAMED A DREAM
Now, when the men of Ospakar, who were gathered on the
poop of the Raven, saw what had come about, they shouted
aloud and made ready to slay the pair. But Eric and Skalla-
grim clambered to the mast and got their backs against it,
and swiftly made themselves fast with a rope, so that they
might not fall with the rolling of the ship. Then the people
of Ospakar came on to cut them down.
But this was no easy task, for they might scarcely stand,
and they could not shoot with the bow. Moreover, Eric and
Skallagrim, being bound to the mast, had the use of both hands
and were minded to die hard. Therefore Ospakar 's folks got
but one thing by their onslaught, and that was death, for
three of their number fell beneath the long sweep of Whitefire,
and one bowed before the axe of Skallagrim. Then they drew
back and strove to throw spears at these two, but they flew
wide because of the rolling of the vessel. One spear struck the
mast near the head of Skallagrim. He drew it out, and,
waiting till the ship steadied herself in the trough of the sea,
hurled it at a knot of Ospakar's thralls, and a man got his
death from it. After that they threw no more spears.
Then once more the crew came on with swords and axes,
but faint-heartedly, and the end of it was that they lost some
more men dead and wounded and fell back again.
Skallagrim mocked at them with bitter words, and one of
them, made mad by his scoffing, cast a heavy ballast-stone at
him. It fell upon his shoulder and numbed him.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 133
' Now I am unmeet for fight, lord,' said Skallagrim, c for my
right arm is dead and I can scarcely hold my axe.'
' That is ill, then,' said Eric, ' for we have little help, except
from each other, and I, too, am well-nigh spent. Well, we have
done a great deed and now it is time to rest.'
' My left arm is yet whole, lord, and I can make shift for
a while with it. Cut loose the cord before they bait us to
death, and let us rush upon these wolves and fall fighting.'
4 A good counsel,' said Eric, ' and a quick end ; but stay
a while : what plan have they now ? '
Now the men of Ospakar, having little heart left in them
for such work as this, had taken thought together.
' We have got great hurt, and little honour,' said the
mate. ' There are but nineteen of us left alive, and that is
scarcely enough to work the ship, and it seems that we shall
be fewer before Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail lie
quiet by yonder mast. They are mighty men, indeed, and it
would be better, methinks, to deal with them by craft, rather
than by force.'
The sailors said that this was a good word, for they were
weary of the sight of Whitefire as he flamed on high and the
sound of the axe of Skallagrim as it crashed through helm
and byrnie ; and as fear crept in valour fled out.
' This is my rede, then,' said the mate : * that we go to them
and give them peace, and lay them in bonds, swearing that we
will put them ashore when we are come back to Iceland. But
when we have them fast, as they sleep at night, we will creep
on them and hurl them into the sea, and afterwards we will say
that we slew them fighting.'
' A shameful deed ! ' said a man.
' Then go thou up against them,' answered the mate. ' If
we slay them not, then shall this tale be told against us through-
out Iceland : that a ship's company were worsted by two men,
and we may not live beneath that dishonour.'
The man held his peace, and the mate, laying down his
arms, crept forward alone, towards the mast, just as Eric and
Skallagrim were about to cut themselves loose and rush on
them.
I34 ERIC BRIG HTE YES
1 What wouldest thou ? ' shouted Eric. ' Has it gone so
well with you with arms that ye are minded to come up against
us bearing none ? '
' It has gone ill, Eric,' said the mate, 'for ye twain are too
mighty for us. We have lost many men, and we shall lose
more ere ye are laid low. Therefore we make you this offer :
thatyoulay down your weapons and suffer yourselves to be bound
till such time as we touch land, where we will set you ashore,
and give you your arms again. Meanwhile, we will deal with
you in friendly fashion, giving you of the best we have ; nor
will we set on foot any suit against you for those of our number
whom ye two have slain.'
' Wherefore then should we be bound ? ' said Eric.
' For this reason only : that we dare not leave you free
within our ship, Now choose, and, if ye will, take peace, which
we swear by all the Gods we will keep towards you, and, if ye
will not, then we will bear you down with beams and sails and
stones, and slay you.' (
' What thinkest thou, Skallagrim ? ' said Eric beneath his
breath.
' I think that I find little faith in yon carle's face,' answered
Skallagrim. ' Still, I am unfit to fight, and thy strength is
spent, so it seems that we must lie low if we would rise
again. They can scarcely be so base as to do murder having
handselled peace to us.'
' I am not so sure of that,' said Eric ; ' still, starving
beggars must eat bones. Hearken thou : we take the terms,
trusting to your honour ; and I say this : that ye shall get
shame and death if ye depart from them to harm us.'
* Have no fear, lord,' said the mate, * we are true men.'
' That we shall look to your deeds to learn,' said Eric, lay-
ing down his sword and shield.
Skallagrim did likewise, though with no good grace. Then
men came with strong cords and bound them fast hand and
foot, handling them fearsomely as men handle a live bear in a
net. Then they led them forward to the prow.
As they went Eric looked up. Yonder, twenty furlongs and
more away, sailed the Gudruda.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 135
' This is good fellowship,' said Skallagrim, ' thus to leave
in the trap.'
* Nay,' answered Eric. ' They cannot put about in such
a sea, and doubtless also they think us dead. Nevertheless,
if ever it comes about that Hall and I stand face to face again,
there will be need for me to think of gentleness.'
' I shall think little thereon,' growled Skallagrim.
Now they were come to the prow, and there was a half
deck under which they were set, out of reach of the wind and
water. In the deck was a stout iron ring, and the men made
them fast with ropes to it, so that they might move but little,
and they set their helms and weapons behind them in such
fashion that they could not come at them. Then they
flung cloaks about them, and brought them food and drink,
of which they stood much in need, and treated them well in
every way. But for all this Skallagrim trusted them no
more.
' We are new-hooked, lord,' he said, ' and they give us line.
Presently they will haul in.'
'Evil comes soon enough,' answered Eric, 'no need to
run to greet it,' and he fell to thinking of Gudruda, and of the
day's deeds, till presently he dropped asleep, for he was very
weary.
Now it chanced that as Eric slept he dreamed a dream
so strong and strange that it seemed to live within him. He
dreamed that he slept there beneath the Raven's deck, and
that a rat came and whispered spells into his ear. Then he
dreamed that Swanhild glided towards him, walking on the
stormy seas. He saw her afar, and she came swiftly, and
ever the sea grew smooth before her feet, nor did the wind so
much as stir her hair. Presently she stood by him in the
ship, and, bending over him, touched him on the shoulder,
saying :
* Awake, Eric Brighteyes ! Awake ! awake ! '
It seemed to him that he awoke and said ' What tidings,
Swanhild ? ' and that she answered :
'111 tidings, Eric— so ill that I am come hither from
i36 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Straumey l to tell of them— ay, come walking on the seas. Had
Gudruda done as much, thinkest thou ? '
' Gudruda is no witch,' he said in his dream.
* Nay, but I am a witch, and it is well for thee, Eric. Ay,
I am a witch. Now do I seem to sleep at Atli's side, and lo !
here I stand by thine, and I must journey back again many a
league before another day be born — ay, many a league, and all
for love of thee, Eric ! Hearken, for not long may the spell
endure. I have seen this by my magic : that these men who
bound thee come even now to take thee, sleeping, and cast thee
and thy thrall into the deep, there to drown.'
1 If it is fated it will befall,' he said in his dream.
'Nay, it shall not befall. Put forth all thy might and
burst thy bonds. Then fetch Whitefire ; cut away the bonds
of Skallagrim, and give him his axe and shield. This done,
cover yourselves with your cloaks, and wait till ye hear the
murderers come. Then rise and rush on them, the two of
you, and they shall melt before your might. I have journeyed
over the great deep to tell thee this, Eric ! Had Gudruda done
as much, thinkest thou ? '
And it seemed to him that the wraith of Swanhild kissed
him on the brow, sighed and vanished, bearing the rat in her
bosom.
Eric awoke suddenly, just as though he had never slept,
and looked around. He knew by the lowness of the sun that
it was far into the night, and that he had slept for many
hours. They were alone beneath the deck, and far aft, beyond
the mast, as the vessel rose upon the waves — for the sea was
still rough, though the wind had fallen— Eric saw the mate of
the Raven talking earnestly with some men of his crew.
Skallagrim snored beside him.
' Awake ! ' Eric said in his ear, ' awake and listen ! '
He yawned and roused himself. ' What now, lord ? ' he
said.
' This,' said Eric, and he told him the dream that he had
dreamed.
1 Stroma, the southernmost of the Orkneys.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 137
' That was a fey dream,' said Skallagrim, * and now wo
must do as the wraith hade thee.'
' Easy to say, but hard to do,' quoth Eric ; ' this is a great
rope that holds us, and a strong.'
' Yes, it is great and strong ; still, we must hurst it.'
Now Eric and Skallagrim were made fast in this fashion :
their hands were bound behind them, and their legs were
lashed above the feet and above the knae. Moreover, a thick
cord was fixed about the waist of each, and this cord was
passed through the iron ring and knotted there. But it
chanced that beneath the hollows of their knees ran an oaken
beam, which held the forepart of the dragon together.
' We may try this,' said Eric: ' to set our feet against the
beam, and strain with all our strength upon the rope ; though
I think that no two men can part it.'
' We shall know that presently,' said Skallagrim, gathering
up his legs.
Then they set their feet against the beam and pulled till
it groaned ; but, though the rope gave somewhat, it would not
break. They rested a while, then strained again till the sweat
burst out upon them and the rope cut into their flesh, but
still it would not part.
' Now we have found our match,' said Eric.
1 That is not altogether proved yet,' answered the Baresark.
' Many a shield is riven at the third stroke.'
So once again they set their feet against the beam, and put
out all their strength.
' The ring bends,' gasped Eric. ' Now, when the roll of
le ship throws our weight to leeward, in the name of Thor
rail ! ' '
They waited, then put out their might, and lo ! though
le rope did not break, the iron ring burst asunder and they
)lled upon the deck.
Well pulled, truly,' said Skallagrim as he struggled to
lis haunches : * I am marked about the middle with rope-
twists for many a day to come, that I will swear. What next,
lord ? '
; Whitefire,' answered Eric.
i38 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Now, their arms were piled a fathom or more from where
they sat, and right in the prow of the ship. Hither, then,
they must crawl upon their knees, and this was weary work,
for ever as the ship rolled they fell, and could in no wiso
save themselves from hurt. Eric was bleeding at the brow,
and bloody was the hooked nose of Skallagrim, before they
came to where Whitefire was. At length they reached the
sword, and pushed aside the bucklers that were over it with
their heads. The great war-blade was sheathed, and Eric
must needs lie upon his breast and draw the weapon somewhat
with his teeth.
' This is an ill razor to shave with,' he said, rising, for the
keen blade had cut his chin.
' So some have thought and perchance more shall think,'
answered Skallagrim. ' Now set the rope on the edge and
rub.'
This they did, and presently the thick cord that bound
them was in two. Then Eric knelt upon the deck and pressed
the bonds that bound his legs upon the blade, and after him
Skallagrim. They were free now, except for their hands, and
it was no easy thing to cut away the bonds upon their wrists.
It was done thus : Skallagrim sat upon the deck, and Eric
pushed the sword between his fingers with his feet. Then
the Baresark rose, holding the sword, and Eric, turning back
to back with him, fretted the cords upon his wrists against
the blade. Twice he cut himself, but the third time the
cord parted and he was free. He stretched his arms, for they
were stiff ; then took Whitefire and cut away the bonds of
Skallagrim.
1 How goes it with that hurt of thine ? ' he asked.
« Better than I had thought,' answered Skallagrim ; ' the
soreness has come out with the bruise.'
' That is good news,' said Eric, ' for methinks, unless Swan-
hild walked the seas for nothing, thou wilt soon need thine
arms.'
' They have never failed me yet,' said Skallagrim and took
his axe and shield. ' What counsel now ? '
* This, Skallagrim : that we lie down as we were, and put the
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 139
cloaks about us as though we were yet in bonds. Then, if these
knaves come, we can take them unawares as they think to
take us.'
So they went again to where they had been bound, and
lay down upon their shields and weapons, drawing cloaks over
them. Scarcely had they done this and rested a while, when
they saw the mate and all the crew coming along both boards
towards them. They bore no weapons in their hands.
' None too soon did Swanhild walk,' said Eric ; ' now we
shall learn their purpose. Be thou ready to leap forth when
I give the word.'
* Ay, lord,' answered Skallagrim as he worked his stiff
arm to and fro. ' In such matters few have thought me
backward.'
' What news, friends ? ' cried Eric as the men drew near.
'Bad news for thee, Brighteyes,' answered the mate,
' and that Baresark thrall of thine, for we must loose your
bands.'
' That is good news, then,' said Eric, * for our limbs are
numb and dead because of the nipping of the cords. Is
land in sight ? '
1 Nay, nor will be for thee, Eric.'
1 How now, friend ? how now ? Sure, having hand-
selled peace to us, ye mean no harm towards two unarmed
men ? '
* We swore to do you no harm, nor will we, Eric ; this only
will we do : deliver you, bound, to Ban, and leave her to deal
with you as deal she may.'
4 Bethink you, sirs,' said Eric : ' this is a cruel deed and
most unmanly. We yielded to you in faith — will ye break
your troth ? '
' War has no troth,' he answered, ' ye are too great to let
slip between our fingers. Shall it be said of us that two men
overcame us all ? '
* Mayhap ! ' murmured Skallagrim beneath his breath.
' Oh, sirs, I beseech you,' said Eric ; ' I am young, and there
is a maid who waits me out in Iceland, and it is hard to die,'
and he made as though he wept, while Skallagrim laughed
140 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
within his sleeve, for it was strange to see Eric feigning
fear.
But the men mocked aloud.
* This is the great man,' they cried, * this is that Eric of
whose deeds folk sing ! Look ! he weeps like a child when he
sees the water. Drag him forth and away with him into the
sea ! '
1 Little need for that,' cried Eric, and lo ! the cloaks
about him and Skallagrim flew aside. Out they came with a
roar ; they came out as a she -bear from her cave, and high
above Brighteyes' golden curls Whitefire shone in the pale
light, and nigh to it shone the axe of Skallagrim. Whitefire
flared aloft, then down he fell and sought the false heart of
the mate. The great axe of Skallagrim shone and was lost in
the breast of the carle who stood before him.
' Trolls ! ' shrieked one. ' Here are trolls ! ' and turned to
fly. But again Whitefire was up and that man flew not far —
one pace, no more. Then they fled screaming and after them
came axe and sword. They fled, they fell, they leaped into
the sea, till none were left to fall and leap, for they had no
time or heart to find or draw their weapons, and presently Eric
Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail stood alone upon the
deck — alone with the dead.
' Swanhild is a wise witch,' gasped Eric, ' and, whatever
ill she has done, I will remember this to her honour.'
' Little good comes of witchcraft,' answered Skallagrim,
wiping his brow : * to-day it works for our hands, to-morrow it
shall work against them.'
* To the helm,' said Eric ; ' the ship yaws and comes side on
to the seas.'
Skallagrim sprang to the tiller and put his strength on it,
and but just in time, for one big sea came aboard them and
left much water in the hold.
'.We owe this to thy Baresark ways,' said Eric. ' Hadst
thou not slain the steersman we had not filled with water.'
' True, lord,' answered Skallagrim ; ' but when once my
axe is aloft, it seems to fly of itself, till nothing is left before
it. What course now ? '
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 141
' The same on which the Gudruda was laid. Perhaps, if
we may endure till we come to the Farey Isles,1 we shall find
her in harbour there.'
' There is not much chance of that,' said Skallagrim ; ' still,
the wind is fair and we fly fast before it.'
Then they lashed the tiller and set to bailing. They
bailed long, and it was heavy work, but they rid the ship of
much water. After that they ate food, for it was now morn-
ing, and it came on to blow yet more strongly.
For three days and three nights it blew thus, and the Raven
fled along before the gale. All this time, turn and turn about,
Eric and Skallagrim stood at the helm and tended the sails.
They had little time to eat, and none to sleep. They were so
hard pressed also, and must harbour their strength so closely,
that the bodies of the dead men yet cumbered the hold. Thus
they grew very weary and like to fall from faintness, but still
they held the Eaven on her course. In the beginning of the
fourth night a great sea struck the good ship so that she
quivered from stem to stern.
' Methinks I hear water bubbling up,' said Skallagrim in
a hoarse voice.
Eric climbed down into the well and lifted the bottom
lanks, and there beneath them was a leak through which the
iter spouted in a thin stream. He stopped up the rent as
est he might with garments from the dead men, and placed
ballast stones upon them, then clambered on to deck again.
Our hours are short now,' he said, * the water rushes in
pace.'
' Well, it is time to rest,' said Skallagrim ; ' but see, lord ! '
nd he pointed ahead. ' What land is that ? '
It must be the Fareys,' answered Eric; 'now, if we
n but keep afloat for three hours more, we may yet die
ashore.'
After this the wind began to fall, but still there was enough
to drive the Raven on swiftly.
And ever the water gained in the hold.
Now they were not far from land, for ahead of them the
1 The Faroerf,
ct II
pla
wa
bes
1 42 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
bleak hills towered up, shining in the faint midnight light,
and between the hills was a cleft that seemed to be a fjord.
Another hour passed, and they were no more than ten fur-
longs from the mouth of the fjord, when suddenly the
wind fell, and they were in calm water under shelter of the
land. They went amidships and looked. The hold was
half full of water, and in it floated the bodies of Ospakar's
men.
' She has not long to live,' said Skallagrim, * but we may
still be saved if the boat is not broken.'
Now aft, near the tiller, a small boat was bound on the
half deck of the Kaven. They went to it and looked ; it was
whole, with oars lashed in it, but half full of water, which they
must bail out. This they did as swiftly as they might ; then
they cut the little boat loose, and, having made it fast with a
rope, lifted it over the side -rail and let it fall into the sea, and
that was no great way, for the Kaven had sunk deep. It fell
on an even keel, and Eric let himself down the rope into it
and called to Skallagrim to follow.
* Bide a while, lord,' he answered ; ' there is that which I
would bring with me,' and he went.
For a space Eric waited and then called aloud, ' Swift !
thou fool ; swift ! the ship sinks ! '
And as he called, Skallagrim came, and his arms were full of
swords and byrnies, and red rings of gold that he had found
time to gather from the dead and out of the cabin.
* Throw all aside and come,' said Eric, laying on to the
oars, for the Haven wallowed before she sank.
' There is yet time, lord, and the gear is good,' answered
Skallagrim, and one by one he threw pieces down into the
boat. As the last fell the Raven sank to her bulwarks. Then
Skallagrim stepped from the sinking deck into the boat, and
cut the cord, not too soon.
Eric gave way with all his strength, and, as he pulled, when
he was no more than five fathoms from her, the Raven vanished
with a huge swirl.
' Hold still,' he said, ' or we shall follow.'
Round spun the boat in the eddy, she was sucked down
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 143
till the water trickled over her gunwale, and for a moment they
knew not if they were lost or saved. Eric held his breath and
watched, then slowly the boat lifted her nose, and they were
safe from the whirlpool of the lost dragon.
' Greed is many a man's bane,' said Eric, ' and it was
nearly thine and mine, Skallagrim.'
' I had no heart to leave the good gear,' he answered ;
' and tliou seest, lord, it is safe and we with it.'
Then they got the boat's head round slowly into the mouth
of the fjord, pausing now and again to rest, for their strength
was spent. For two hours they rowed down a gulf, as it
were, and on either side of them were barren hills. At length
the water-way opened out into a great basin, and there, on the
further side of the basin, they saw green slopes running down
to the water's edge, strewn with white stock-fish set to dry in
the wind and sun, and above the slopes a large hall, and about
it booths. Moreover, they saw a long dragon of war at anchor
near the shore. For a while they rowed on, easing now and
again. Then Eric spoke to Skallagrim.
' What thinkest tliou of yonder ship, Lambstail ? '
4 1 think this, lord : that she is fashioned wondrous like to
the Gudruda.'
1 That is in my mind also,' said Eric, ' and our fortune is
good if it is she.'
They rowed on again, and presently a ray from the sun
came over the hills — for now it was three hours past midnight
— and, the ship having swung a little with the tide, lit upon
her prow, and lo ! there gleamed the golden dragon of the
Gudruda.
* This is a strange thing,' said Eric.
* Ay, lord, a strange and a merry, for now I shall talk with
Hall the mate,' and the Baresark smiled grimly.
'Thou shalt do no hurt to Hall,' said Eric. ' I am lord
here, and I must judge.'
' Thy will is my will,' said Skallagrim ; ' but if my will were
thine, he should hang on the mast till sea-birds nested amidst
his bones.'
Now they were close to the ship, but they could see no
I44 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
man. Skallagrim would have called aloud, but Eric bade him
hold his peace.
' Either they are dead, and thy calling cannot wake them,
or perchance they sleep and will wake of themselves. We will
row under the stern, and, having made fast, climb aboard and
see with our own eyes.'
This, then, they did as silently as might be, and saw that the
Gudruda had not been handled gently by the winds and waves,
for her shield-rail was washed away. This they found also, that
all men lay deep in sleep. Now, amidships a fire still burned,
and by it was food. They came there and ate of the food, of
which they had great need. Then they took two cloaks that
lay on the deck, and, throwing them about them, warmed them-
selves over the fire : for they were cold and wet, ay, and utterly
outworn.
As they sat thus warming themselves, a man of the crew
awoke and saw them, a.nd, being amazed, at once called to his
fellows, saying that two giants were aboard, warming them-
selves at the fire. Now men sprang up, and, seizing their
weapons, ran towards them, and among them was Hall the
mate.
Then suddenly Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail
threw aside the cloaks and stood up. They were gaunt and
grim to see. Their cheeks were hollow and their eyes stared
wide with want of sleep. Thick was their harness with brine,
and open wounds gaped upon their faces and their hands. Men
saw and fell back in fear, for they held them to be wizards
risen from the sea in the shapes of Eric and the Baresark.
Then Eric sang this song :
Swift and sure across the Swan's Bath
Sped Sea-stag on Raven's track,
Heav'd Ban's breast in raging billows,
Stream'd gale-banners through the sky !
Yet did Eric the war-eager
Leap with Baresark-mate aboard,
Fierce their onset on the foemen !
Wherefore brake the grapnel-chain?
Hall heard and slunk back, for now he saw that these were
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 145
indeed Eric and Skallagrim come up alive from the sea, and
that they knew his baseness.
Eric looked at him and sang again :
Swift away sped ship Gudruda,
Left her lord in foeman's ring ;
Brighteyes back to back with Baresark
Held his head 'gainst mighty odds.
Down amidst the ballast tumbling,
Ospakar's shield-carles were rolled.
Holy peace at length they handselled,
Eric must in bonds be laid 1
Came the Grey Eat, came the Earl's wife,
Came the witch -word from afar ;
Cag'd wolves roused them, and with struggling
Tore their fetter from its hold.
Now they watch upon their weapons ;
Now they weep and pray for life ;
Now they leap forth like a torrent —
Swept away is foeman's strength !
Then alone upon the Eaven
Three long days they steer and sail,
Till the waters, welling upwards,
Wash dead men about their feet.
Fails the gale and sinks the dragon,
Barely may they win the boat :
Safe they stand on ship Gudruda —
Say, who cut the grapnel-chain ?
146.
ERIC BRIG HTE YES
CHAPTER XV
HOW ERIC DWELT IN LONDON TOWN
stood astonished, but
Hall the mate slunk
back.
' Hold, comrade,' said
Eric, * I have something
to say that songs cannot carry.
Hearken, my shield-mates :
we swore to be true to each
other, even to death : is it
not so ? What then shall
be said of that man who cut
loose the Gudruda and left
us two to die at the foeman's
hand ? '
' Who was the man ? '
asked a voice.
* That man was Hall of Lithdale,' said Eric.
* It is false ! ' said Hall, gathering up his courage ; ' the
cable parted beneath the straining of the ship, and afterwards
we could not put about because of the great sea.'
1 Thou art false ! ' roared Skallagrim. ' With my eyes I
saw thee let thine axe fall upon the cable. Liar art thou
and dastard ! Thou art jealous also of Brighteyes thy lord, and
this was in thy mind : to let him die upon the Raven and
then to bind his shoes upon thy cowardly feet. Though none
else saw, I saw ; and I say this : that if I may have my will,
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 147
I will string thee, living, to the prow in that same cable till
gulls tear out thy fox-heart ! '
Now Hall grew very white and his knees trembled beneath
him. * It is true,' he said, * that I cut the chain, but not from
any thought of evil. Had I not cut it the vessel must have
sunk and all been lost.'
' Did we not swear, Hall,' said Eric sternly, ' together to
fight and together to fall— together to fare and, if need be,
together to cease from faring, and dost thou read the oath
thus ? Say, mates, what reward shall be paid to this man
HALL THE LIAR ROWS ASHORE.
for his good fellowship to us and his tenderness for your
lives ? '
As with one voice the men answered ' Death ! '
* Thou nearest, Hall ? ' said Eric. ' Yet I would deal
more gently with one to whom I swore fellowship so lately.
Get thee gone from our company, and let us see thy cur's
face no more. Get thee gone, I say, before I repent of my
mercy.'
Then amidst a loud hooting, Hall took his weapons and
without a word slunk into the boat of the Raven that lay
astern, and rowed ashore ; nor did Eric see his face for many
months.
1 Thou hast done foolishly, lord, to let that weasel go,'
said Skallagrim, ' for he will live to nip thy hand.'
L2
I48 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 For good or ill, he is gone,' said Eric, ' and now I am
worn out and desire to sleep.'
After this Eric and Skallagrim rested three full days, and
they were so weary that they were awake for little of this time.
But on the third day they rose up, strong and well, except for
their hurts and soreness. Then they told the men of that which
had corne to pass, and all wondered at their might and hardi-
hood. To them indeed Eric seemed as a God, for few such
deeds as his had been told of since the God-kind were on earth.
But Brighteyes thought little of his deeds, and much of
Gudruda. At times also he thought of Swanhild, and of that
witch-dream she sent him : for it was wonderful to him that
she should have saved him thus from Rail's net.
Eric was heartily welcomed by the Earl of the Farey Isles,
for, when he heard his deeds, he made a feast in his honour,
and set him in the high seat. It was a great feast, but
Skallagrim became drunk at it and ran down the chamber,
axe aloft, roaring for Hall of Lithdale.
This angered Eric much and he would scarcely speak to
Skallagrim for many days, though the great Baresark slunk
about after him like his shadow, or a whipped hound at its
master's heel, and at length humbled his pride so far as to
ask pardon for his fault.
' I grant it for thy deeds' sake,' said Eric shortly; 'but this
is upon my mind : that thou wilt err thus again, and it shall
be my cause of death— ay, and that of many more.'
' First may my bones be white,' said Skallagrim.
'* They shall be white thereafter,' answered Eric.
At Fareys Eric shipped twelve good men and true, to
take the seats of those who had been slain by Ospakar's folk.
Afterwards, when the wounded were well of their hurts (except
one man who died), and the Gudruda was made fit to take
the sea again, Brighteyes bade farewell to the Earl of thjse
Isles, who gave him a good cloak and a gold ring at parting,
and sailed away.
Now, it were too long to tell of all the deeds that Eric and his
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 149
men did. Never, so scalds sing, was there a viking like him
for strength and skill and hardihood, and, in those days,
no such war- dragon as the Gudruda had been known upon the
sea. Wherever Eric joined battle, and that was in many places,
he conquered, for none prevailed against him, till at last foes
would fly before the terror of his name, and earls and kings
would send from far craving the aid of his hands. Withal he
was the best and gentlest of men. It is said of Eric that in
all his days he did no base deed, nor hurt the weak, nor
refused peace to him who prayed it, nor lifted sword against
prisoner or wounded foe. From traders he would take a toll
of their merchandise only and let them go, and whatever
gains he won he would share equally, asking no larger part
than the meanest of his band. All men loved Eric, and even
his foes gave him honour and spoke well of him. Now that
Hall of Lithdale was gone, there was no man among his
mates who would not have passed to death for him, for they
held him dearer than their lives. Women, too, loved him
much ; but his heart was set upon Gudruda, and he seldom
turned to look on them.
The first summer of his outlawry Eric warred along the
coast of Ireland, but in the winter he came to Dublin, and for
a while served in the body-guard of the king of that town,
who held him in honour, and would have had him stay
there. But Eric would not bide there, and next spring,
the Gudruda being ready for sea, he sailed for the shores of
England. There he gave battle to two vikings' ships of war,
and took them after a hard fight. It was in this fight that
Skallagrim Lambstail was wounded almost to death. For when,
having taken one ship, Eric boarded the other with but few
men, he was driven back and fell over a beam, and would
have been slain, had not Skallagrim thrown himself across
his body, taking on his own back that blow of a battle-axe
which was aimed at Eric's head. This was a great wound, for
the axe shore through the steel of the byrnie and sank into
the flesh. But when Eric's men saw their lord down, and
Skallagrim, as they deemed, dead athwart him, they made
so fierce a rush that the foemen fell before them like leaves
I5o ERIC BRIGHTEYES
before a winter gale, and the end of it was that the vikings
prayed peace of Eric. Skallagrim lay sick for many duys.
but he was hard to kill, and Eric nursed him back to life.
After this these two loved each other as brother loves twin
brother, and they could scarcely bear to be apart. But other
people did not love Skallagrim, nor he them.
Eric sailed on up the Thames to London, bringing the
viking ships with him, and he delivered their captains bound
to Edmund, Edward's son, the king who was called Edmund
the Magnificent. These captains the King hung, for they
had wrought damage to his ships.
Eric found much favour with the King, and, indeed, his
fame had gone before him. So when he came into the court,
bravely clad, with Skallagrim at his back, who was now almost
recovered of his wound, the King called out to him to draw
near, saying that he desired to look on the bravest viking and
most beauteous man who sailed the seas, arid on that fierce
Baresark whom men called ' Eric's Death-shadow.'
So Eric came forward up the long hall that was adorned
with things more splendid than ever his eyes had seen, and
stood before the King. With him came Skallagrim, driving
the two captive viking chiefs before him with his axe, as a
flesher drives lambs. Now, during these many months
Brighteyes had grown yet more great in girth and glorious to
look on than he was before. Moreover, his hair was now
so long that it flowed like a flood of gold down towards his
girdle, for since Gudruda trimmed it no shears had come near
his head, and his locks grew fast as a woman's. The King
looked at him and was astonished.
' Of a truth,' he said, ' men have not lied about thee, Ice-
lander, nor concerning that great wolf-hound of thine,' and
he pointed at Skallagrim with his sword of state. ' Never
saw I such a man ; ' and he bade all the mightiest men of
his body-guard stand forward that he might measure them
against Eric. But Brighteyes was an inch taller than the
tallest, and measured half a span more round the chest than
the biggest.
' What wouldst thou of me, Icelander ? ' asked the King.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 151
' This, lord,' said Eric : ' to serve thee a while, and all my
men with me.'
' That is an offer that few would turn from,' answered the
King. ' Thou shalt go into my body-guard, and, if I have my
will, thou shalt be near me in battle, and thy wolf-dog also.'
Eric said that he asked no better, and thereafter he went
up with Edmund the King to make war on the Danes of
Mercia, and he and Skallagrim did great deeds before the eyes
of the Englishmen.
That winter Eric and his company came back to London,
and abode with the King in much state and honour. Now, there
was a certain lady of the court named Elfrida. She was both
fair and wealthy, the sweetest of women, and of royal blood
by her mother's side. So soon as her eyes fell on Eric she
loved him, and no one thing did she desire more than to be
his wife. But Brighteyes kept aloof from her, for he loved
Gudruda alone ; and so the winter wore away, and in the
spring he went away warring, nor did he come back till autumn
was at hand.
The Lady Elfrida sat at a window when Eric rode
through London Town in the King's following, and as he
passed she threw him a wreath of flowers. The King saw it
and laughed.
' My cold kinswoman seems to melt before those bright
eyes of thine, Icelander,' he said, ' as my foes melt before
Whitefire's flame. Well, I could wish her a worse mate,' and
he looked on him strangely.
Eric bowed, but made no answer.
That night, as they sat at meat in the palace, the Lady
Elfrida, being bidden in jest of Edmund the King to fill the
cup of the bravest, passed down the board, and, before all men,
poured wine into Eric's cup, and, as she did so, welcomed him
back with short sweet words.
Eric grew red as dawn, and thanked her graciously ; but
after the feast he spoke with Skallagrim, asking him of the
(ludnida, and when she could be ready to take the sea.
'In ten days, lord,' said Skallagrim; 'but stay we not
here with the King this winter ? It is late to sail.'
1 52 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 Nay,' said Eric, ' we bide not here. I would winter this
year in Fareys, for they are the nighest place to Iceland that
I may reach. Next summer my three years of outlawry are
over, and I would fare back homewards.'
'Now, I see the shadow of a woman's hand,' said Skalla-
grim. ' It is very late to face the northern seas, and we may
sail to Iceland from London in the spring.'
' It is my will that we should sail,' answered Eric.
' Past Orkneys runs the road to Fareys,' said Skallagrim,
' and in Orkneys sits a hawk to whom the Lady Elfrida is but
a dove. In faring from ill we may hap on worse.'
'It is my will that we sail,' said Eric stubbornly.
' As thou wilt, and as the King wills,' answered Skalla-
grim.
On the morrow Eric went in before the King, and craved
a boon.
' There is little that thou canst ask, Brighteyes,' said the
King, ' that I will not give thee, for, by my troth, I hold thee
dear.'
' I am come to seek no great thing, lord,' answered Eric,
' but this only : leave to bid thee farewell. I would wend
homeward.'
' Say, Eric,' said the King, ' have I not dealt well with
thee ? '
' Well, and overwell, lord.'
' Why, then, wouldst thou leave me ? I have this in my
mind — to bring thee to great honour. See, now, there is a
fair lady in this court, and in her veins runs blood that even
an Iceland viking might be proud to mate with. She has
great lands, and, mayhap, she shall have more. Canst thou
not find a home on them, thinkest thou, Brighteyes ? '
' In Iceland only I am at home, lord,' said Eric.
Then the King was wroth, and bade him begone when it
pleased him, and Eric bowed before him and went out.
Two days afterwards, while Eric was walking in the Palace
gardens he met the Lady Elfrida face to face. She held
white flowers in her hand, and she was fair to see and pale as
the flowers she bore.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 153
He greeted her, and, after a while, she spoke to him in a
gentle voice : ' They say that thou goest from England, Bright-
eyes ? ' she said.
' Yes, lady ; I go,' he answered.
She looked on him once and twice and then burst out
weeping. ' Why goest thou hence to that cold land of thine ? '
she sobbed — * that hateful land of snow and ice ! Is not
England good enough for thee ? '
' I am at home there, lady, and there my mother waits
me.'
' " There thy mother waits thee," Eric ? — say, does a maid
called Gudruda the Fair wait thee there also ? '
' There is such a maid in Iceland,' said Eric.
* Yes ; I know it — I know it all,' she answered, drying
her tears, and of a sudden growing cold and proud : * Eric,
thou art betrothed to this Gudruda ; and, for thy welfare,
somewhat overfaithful to thy troth. For hearken, Eric
Brighteyes. I know this : that little luck shall come to thee
from the maid Gudruda. It would become me ill to say
more ; nevertheless, this is true— that here, in England, good
fortune waits thy hand, and there in Iceland such fortune as
men mete to their foes. Rnowest thou this ? '
Eric looked at her and answered : ' Lady,' he said,
' men are not born of their own will, they live and do little
that they will, they die and go, perchance, whither they would
not. Yet it may happen to a man that one meets him whose
hand he fain would hold, if it be but for an hour's travel over
cy ways ; and it is better to hold that hand for this short hour
to wend his life through at a stranger's side.'
* Perhaps there is wisdom in thy folly,' said the Lady Elfrida.
' Still, I tell thee this : that no good luck waits thee there in
Iceland.'
* It well may be,' said Eric : * my days have been stormy,
and the gale is still brewing. But it is a poor heart that fears
the storm. Better to sink ; for, coward or hero, all must sink
at last.'
' Say, Eric,' said the lady, ' if that hand thou dost desire
to hold is lost to thee, what then ? '
not.
hand
icy w
than
i oi:r
:
I54 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
'If that hand is cold in death, then henceforth I wend my
ways alone.'
' And if it be held of another hand than thine ? '
' Then I will journey back to England, lady, and here in
this fair garden I may crave speech of thee again.'
They looked one on another. * Fare thee well, Eric ! ' said
the Lady Elfrida. * Here in this garden we may talk again ;
and, if we talk no more — why, fare thee well ! Days come and
go ; the swallow takes flight at winter, and lo ! at spring it
twitters round the eaves. And if it come not again, then fare-
well to that swallow. The world is a great house, Eric, and
there is room for many swallows. But alas ! for her who is left
desolate — alas, alas ! ' And she turned and went.
It is told of this Lady Elfrida that she became very wealthy
and was much honoured for her gentleness and wisdom, and
that, when she was old, she built a great church and named it
Ericskirk. It is also told that, though many sought her in
marriage, she wedded none.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
'55
CHAPTER XVI
HOW SWANHILD WALKED THE SEAS
THE SHIP GUDRUDA IN THE THAMES.
ITHIN two days afterwards, the
Gudruda being bound for sea, Eric
went up to bid farewell to the King.
But Edmund was so angry with him
because of his going that he would
not see him. Thereon Eric took horse
and rode down sadly from the Palace to the river-bank where
the Gudruda lay. But when he was about to give the word to
get out the oars, the King himself rode up, and with him men
bearing costly gifts. Eric went ashore to speak with him.
* I am angry with thee, Brighteyes,' said Edmund, ' yet it
is not in my heart to let thee go without words and gifts of
farewell. This only I ask of thee now, that, if things go
not well with thee there, out in Iceland, thou wilt come back
to me.'
1 56 ERIC BRIG HTE YES
1 1 will— that I promise thee, King,' said Eric, ' for I shall
never find a better lord.'
' Nor I a braver servant,' said the King. Then he gave
him the gifts and kissed him before all men. To Skallagrim
also he gave a good byrnie of Welsh steel coloured black.
Then Eric went aboard again and dropped down the river
with the tide.
For five days all went well with them, the sea being calm
and the winds light and favourable. But on the fifth night, as
they sailed slowly along the coasts of East Anglia over against
Yarmouth sands, the moon rose red and ringed and the sea
fell dead calm.
'Yonder hangs a storm-lamp, lord,' said Skallagrim,
pointing to the angry moon. ' We shall soon be bailing, for
the autumn gales draw near.'
1 Wait till they come, then speak,' said Eric. ' Thou croak-
est ever like a raven.'
' And ravens croak before foul weather,' answered Skalla-
grim, and just as he spoke a sudden gust of wind came up
from the south east and laid the Gudruda over. After this
it came on to blow, and so fiercely that for whole days and
nights their clothes were scarcely dry. They ran northwards
before the storm and still northward, sighting no land and
seeing no stars. And ever as they scudded on the gale grew
fiercer, till at length the men were worn out with bailing
and starved with wet and cold. Three of their number
also were washed away by the seas, and all were in sorry
plight.
It was the fourth night of the gale. Eric stood at the helm,
and by him Skallagrim. They were alone, for their comrades
were spent and lay beneath decks, waiting for death. The
ship was half full of water, but they had no more strength to
bail. Eric seemed grim and gaunt in the white light of the
moon, and his long hair streamed about him wildly. Grimmer
yet was Skallagrim as he clung to the shield-rail and stared
across the deep.
* She rolls heavily, lord,' he shouted, ' and the water gains
fast.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 157
1 Can the men bail no more ? ' asked Eric.
' Nay, they are outworn and wait for death.'
' They need not wait long,' said Eric. ' What do they say
of me ? '
' Nothing.'
Then Eric groaned aloud. ' It was my stubbornness that
brought us to this pass,' he said ; ' I care little for myself, but
it is ill that all should die for one man's folly.'
' Grieve not, lord,' answered Skallagrim, ' that is the world's
way, and there are worse things than to drown. Listen !
methinks I hear the roar of breakers yonder,' and he pointed
to the left.
' Breakers they surely are,' said Eric. * Now the end is
near. But see, is not that land looming up on the right, or
is it cloud ? '
1 It is land,' said Skallagrim, ' and I am sure of this, that
we run into a firth. Look, the seas boil like a hot spring.
Hold on thy course, lord, perchance we may yet steer between
rocks and land. Already the wind falls and the current
lessens the seas.'
'Ay,' said Eric, 'already the fog and rain come up,' and
he pointed ahead where dense clouds gathered in the shape of
a giant, whose head reached to the skies and moved towards
them, hiding the moon.
Skallagrim looked, then spoke : * Now here, it seems, is
witchwork. Say, lord, hast thou ever seen mist travel against
wind as it travels now ? '
' Never before,' said Eric, and as he spoke the light of the
moon went out.
Swanhild, Atli's wife, sat in beauty in her bower on
Straumey Isle and looked with wide eyes towards the sea.
It was midnight. None stirred in Atli's hall, but still Swan-
hild looked out towards the sea.
Now she turned and spoke into the darkness, for there
was no light in the bower save the light of her great eyes.
' Art thou there ? ' she said. ' I have summoned thee thrice
in the words thou knowest. Say, Toad, art there ? '
iS8 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
' Ay, Swanhild the Fatherless ! Swanhild, Groa's daughter !
Witch-mother's witch-child ! I am here. What is thy will
with me ? ' piped a thin voice like the voice of a dying
babe.
Swanhild shuddered a little and her eyes grew brighter—
as bright as the eyes of a cat.
' This first,' she said : ' that thou show thyself. Hideous as
thou art, I had rather see thee, than speak with thee seeing
thee not.'
' Mock not my form, lady,' answered the thin voice, ' for it
is as thou dost fashion it in thy thought. To the good I am
fair as day ; to the evil, foul as their heart. Toad thou didst
call me : look, now I come as a toad ! '
Swanhild looked, and behold ! a ring of the darkness grew
white with light, and in it crouched a thing hideous to see.
It was shaped as a great spotted toad, and on it was set a hag's
face, with white locks hanging down on either side. Its eyes
were blood-red and sunken, black were its fangs, and its skin
was dead yellow. It grinned horribly as Swanhild shrank
from it, then spoke again :
1 Grey Wolf thou didst call me once, Swanhild, when thou
wouldst have thrust Gudruda down Goldfoss gulf, and as a
grey wolf I came, and gave thee counsel that thou tookest
but ill. Eat didst thou call me once, when thou wouldst
save Brighteyes from the carles of Ospakar, and as a rat
I came and in thy shape I walked the seas. Toad thou
callest me now, and as a toad I creep about thy feet. Name
thy will, Swanhild, and I will name my price. But -be swift,
for there are other fair ladies whose wish I must do ere
dawn.'
' Thou art hideous to look on ! ' said Swanhild, placing her
hand before her eyes.
' Say not so, lady ; say not so. Look at this face of mine.
Knowest thou it not ? It is thy mother's— dead Groa lent it
me. I took it from where she lies ; and my toad's skin I drew
from thy spotted heart, Swanhild, and more hideous than I
am shalt thou be in a day to come, as once I was more fair
than thou art to-day.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 159
Swanhild opened her lips to shriek, but no sound came.
4 Troll,' she whispered, 'mock me not with lies, but hearken
to my bidding : where sails Eric now ? '
' Look out into the night, lady, and thou shalt see.'
Swanhild looked, and the ways of the darkness opened be-
fore her witch-sight. There at the mouth of Pentland Firth
the Gudruda laboured heavily in the great seas, and by the
tiller stood Eric, and with him Skallagrim.
' Seest thou thy love ? ' asked the Familiar.
' Yea,' she answered, ' full clearly ; he is worn with wind
and sea, but more glorious than aforetime, and his hair is long.
Say, what shall befall him if thou aidest not ? '
' This, that he shall safely pass the Firth, for the gale falls,
and come safely to Fareys, and from Fareys isles to Gudruda's
arms.'
' And what canst thou do, Goblin ? '
* This : I can lure Eric's ship to wreck, and give his com-
rades, all save Skallagrim, to Ban's net, and bring him to thy
arms, Swanhild, witch-mother's witch-child ! '
She hearkened. Her breast heaved and her eyes
flashed.
' And thy price, Toad ? '
' Thou art the price, lady,' piped the goblin. ' Thou shalt
give thyself to me when thy day is done, and merrily will we
sisters dwell in Hela's halls, and merrily for ever will we fare
about the earth o' nights, doing such tasks as this task of thine,
Swanhild, and working wicked woe till the last woe is worked
us. Art thou content ? '
Swanhild thought. Twice her breath went from her lips
great sighs. Then she stood, pale and silent.
* Safely shall he sail the Firth,' piped the thin voice,
fely shall he sit in Fareys. Safely shall he lie in white
rudruda's arms — hee ! hee ! Think of it, lady ! '
Then Swanhild shook like a birch-tree in the gale, and her
grew ashen.
1 1 am content,' she said.
' Hee ! hee ! Brave lady ! She is content. Ah, we sisters
lall be merry. Hearken : if I aid thee thus I may do no
160 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
more. Thrice has the night-owl come at thy call— now it
must wing away. Yet things will be as I have said ; thine
own wisdom shall guide the rest. Ere morn Brighteyes shall
stand in Atli's hall, ere spring he will he thy love, and ere
autumn Gudruda shall sit on the high seat in the hall of Mid-
dalhof the bride of Ospakar. Draw nigh, give me thine arm,
sister, that blood may seal our bargain.'
Swanhild drew near the toad, and, shuddering, stretched out
her arm, and then and there the red blood ran, and there they
sealed their sisterhood. And as the nameless deed was wrought,
it seemed to Swanhild as though fire shot through her veins,
and fire surged before her eyes, and in the fire a shape passed
up weeping.
' It is done, Blood-sister,' piped the voice ; ' now I must
away in thy form to be about thy tasks. Seat thee here
before me — so. Now lay thy brow upon my brow — fear not,
it was thy mother's — life on death! curling locks on corpse
hair ! See, so we change — we change. Now thou art the
Death-toad and I am Swanhild, Atli's wife, who shall be Eric's
love.'
Then Swanhild knew that her beauty had entered into
the foulness of the toad, and the foulness of the toad into her
beauty, for there before her stood her own shape and here she
crouched a toad upon the floor.
' Away to work, away ! ' said a soft low voice, her own
voice speaking from her own body that stood before her, and
io ! it was gone.
But Swanhild crouched, in the shape of a hag-headed toad,
upon the ground in her bower of Atli's hall, and felt wickedness
and evil longings and hate boil and seethe within her heart.
She looked out through her sunken horny eyes and she seemed
to see strange sights. She saw Atli, her lord, dead upon the
grass. She saw a woman asleep, and above her flashed a sword.
She saw the hall of Middalhof red with blood. She saw a great
gulf in a mountain's heart, and men fell down it. And, last,
she saw a war-ship sailing fast out on the sea, afire, and vanish
there.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 161
Now the witch-hag who wore Swanhild's loveliness stood
upon the cliffs of Straumey and tossed her white arms towards
the north.
' Come, fog ! come, sleet ! ' she cried. ' Come, fog ! come,
sleet ! Put out the moon and blind the eyes of Eric ! ' And
as she called, the fog rose up like a giant and stretched his
arms from shore to shore.
' Move, fog ! beat, rain ! ' she cried. * Move and beat
against the gale, and blind the eyes of Eric ! '
And the fog moved on against the wind, and with it sleet
and rain.
' Now I am afeared,' said Eric to Skallagrim, as they stood
in darkness upon the ship : ' the gale blows fi\ m behind us,
and yet the mist drives fast in our faces. What comes now ? '
' This is witch-work, lord,' answered Skallagrim, ' and in
such things no counsel can avail. Hold the tiller straight
and drive on, say I. Methinks the gale lessens more and
more.'
So they did for a little while, and all around them sounded
the roar of breakers. Darker grew the sky and darker yet,
till at the last, though they stood side by side, they could not
see each other's shapes.
' This is strange sailing,' said Eric. ' I hear the roar of
breakers as it were beneath the prow.'
KLash the helm, lord, and let us go forward. If there are
kers, perhaps we shall see their foam through the black-
ness,' said Skallagrim.
Eric did so, and they crept forward on the starboard board
right to the prow of the ship, and there Skallagrim peered
into the fog and sleet.
' Lord,' he whispered presently, and his voice shook
strangely, * what is that yonder on the waters ? Seest thou
aught ? '
Eric stared and said, * By Odin ! I see a shape of light
like to the shape of a woman ; it walks upon the waters
towards us and the mist melts before it, and the sea grows
calm beneath its feet.'
I
1 62 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 1 see that also ! ' said Skallagrim.
' She comes nigh ! ' gasped Eric. ' See how swift she
comes ! By the dead, it is Swanhild's shape ! Look, Skalla-
grim ! look how her eyes flame ! — look how her hair streams
upon the wind ! '
* It is Swanhild and we are fey ! ' quoth Skallagrim, and
they ran back to the helm, where Skallagrim sank upon the
deck in fear.
' See, Skallagrim, she glides before the Gudruda's beak !
she glides backwards and she points yonder— there to the
right ! Shall I put the helm down and follow her ? '
' Nay, lord, nay ; set no faith in witchcraft or evil will
befall us.'
As he spoke a great gust of wind shook the ship, the
music of the breakers roared in their eyes, and the gleaming
shape upon the waters tossed its arms wildly and pointed to
the right.
4 The breakers call ahead,' said Eric. ' The Shape points
yonder, where I hear no sound of sea. Once before, thou
mindest, Swanhild walked the waves to warn us and thereby
saved us from the men of Ospakar. Ever she swore she
loved me ; now she is surely come in love to save us and all
our comrades. Say, shall I put about ? Look : once more
she waves her arms and points,' and as he spoke he gripped
the helm.
' I have no rede, lord,' said Skallagrim, ' and I love not
witch-work. We can die but once, and death is all around ;
be it as thou wilt.'
Eric put down the helm with all his might. The good
ship answered, and her timbers groaned loudly, as though in
woe, when the strain of the sea struck her abeam. Then once
more she flew fast across the waters, and fast before her
glided the wraith of Swanhild. Now it pointed here and
now there, and as it pointed so Eric shaped his course.
For a while the noise of breakers lessened, but now again
came a thunder, like the thunder of waves smiting on a cliff,
and about the sides of the Gudruda the waters hissed like
snakes.
Swanhild walks the seas.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 163
Suddenly the Shape threw up its arms and seemed to
sink beneath the waves, while a sound like the sound of a great
laugh went up from sea to sky.
' Now here is the end,' said Skallagrim, * and we are lured
to doom.'
Ere ever the words had passed his lips the ship struck,
and so fiercely that they were rolled upon the deck. Suddenly
the sky grew clear, the moon shone out, and before them
were cliffs and rocks, and behind them a great wave rushed
on. From the hold of the ship there came a cry, for now
their comrades were awake and they knew that death was
here.
Eric gripped Skallagrim round the middle and looked
aft. On rushed the wave, no such wave had he ever seen.
Now it struck and the Gudruda burst asunder beneath the
blow.
Blit Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail were lifted
on its crest and knew no more.
Swanhild, crouching in hideous guise upon the ground in
the bower of Atli's hall, looked upon the visions that passed
before her. Suddenly a woman's shape, her own shape, was
there.
It is done, Blood- sister,' said a voice, her own voice,
errily I walked the waves, and oh, merry was the cry of
ric's folk when Ran caught them in her net ! Be thyself,
again, Blood- sister— be fair as thou art foul ; then arise, wake
Atli thy lord, and go down to the sea's lip by the southern
cliffs and see what thou shalt find. We shall meet no more
till all this game is played and another game is set,' and the
shape of Swanhild crouched upon the floor before the hag-
headed toad muttering ' Pass ! pass ! '
Then Swanhild felt her flesh come back to her, and as it
grew upon her so the shape of the Death-headed toad faded
away.
1 Farewell, Blood-sister ! ' piped a voice ; * make merry as
thou mayest, but merrier shall be our nights when thou hast
gone a- sailing with Eric on the sea. Farewell ! farewell !
I
y.
En.
1 64 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Were-ivolf thou didst call me once, and as a wolf I came.
Eat thou didst call me once, and as a rat I came. Toad didst
thou call me once, and as a toad I came. Say, at the last,
what wilt thou call me and in what shape shall I come, Blood-
sister ? Till then farewell ! '
And all was gone and all was still.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 165
CHAPTER XVII
HOW ASMUND THE PKIEST WEDDED UKNA, THOKOD'S
DAUGHTER
Now the story goes back to Iceland.
When Brighteyes was gone, for a while Gudruda the Fair
moved sadly about the stead, like one new-widowed. Then
came tidings. Men told how Ospakar Blacktooth had way-
laid Eric on the seas with two long ships, dragons of war, and
how Eric had given him battle and sunk one dragon with
great loss to Ospakar. They told also how Blacktooth 's
other dragon, the Raven, had sailed away before the wind, and
Eric had sailed after it in a rising gale. But of what befell
these ships no news came for many a month, and it was
rumoured that this had befallen them — that both had sunk in
the gale, and that Eric was dead.
;But Gudruda would not believe this. When Asmund the
Bst, her father, asked her why she did not believe it, she
wered that, had Eric been dead, her heart would surely have
ken to her of it. To this Asmund said that it might be so.
Hay-harvest being done, Asmund made ready for his
Iding with Unna, Thorod's daughter and Eric's cousin.
Now it was agreed that the marriage-feast should be held
at Middalhof ; for Asmund wished to ask a great company
to the wedding, and there was no place at Coldback to hold
so many. Also some of the kin of Thorod, Unna's father,
were bidden to the feast from the east and north. At length
all was prepared and the guests came in great companies,
for no such feast had been made in this quarter for many
years.
i66 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
On the eve of the marriage Asmund spoke with Groa. The
witch-wife had borne herself humbly since she was recovered
from her sickness. She passed about the stead like a rat at
night, speaking few words and with downcast eyes. She was
busy also making all things ready for the feasting.
Now as Asmund went up the hall seeing that everything
was in order, Groa drew near to him and touched him gently
on the shoulder.
' Are things to thy mind, lord ? ' she said.
' Yes, Groa,' he answered, * more to my mind than to
thine I fear.'
' Fear not, lord ; thy will is my will.'
' Say, Groa, is it thy wish to bide here in Middalhof when
Unna is my housewife ? '
'It is my wish to serve thee as aforetime,' she answered
softly, ' if so be that Unna wills it.'
' That is her desire,' said Asmund and went his ways.
But Groa stood looking after him and her face was fierce
and evil.
' While bane has virtue, while runes have power, and
while hand has cunning, never, Unna, shalt thou take my
place at Asmund's side ! Out of the water I came to thee,
Asmund ; into the water I go again. Unquiet shall I lie there-
unquiet shall I wend through Hela's halls ; but Unna shall
rest at Asmund's side — in Asmund's cairn ! '
Then again she moved about the hall, making all things
ready for the feast. But at midnight, when the light was
low and folk slept, Groa rose, and, veiled in a black robe, with
a basket in her hand, passed like a shadow through the hall
out upon the meads. Thence she glided into the mists that
hang about the river's edge, and in silence, always looking be-
hind her, like one who fears a hidden foe, culled flowers of the
noisome plants that grow in the marsh. Her basket being
filled, she passed round the stead to a hidden dell upon
the mountain side. Here a man stood waiting, and near him
burned a fire of turf. In his hand he held an iron-pot. It
was Roll the Half-witted, Groa's thrall.
' Arc all things ready, Koll ? ' she said.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
167
' Yes,' he answered ; ' but I like not these tasks of thine,
mistress. Say now, what wouldst thou with the fire and the
pot?'
1 This, then, Koll. I would brew a love-potion for Asmund
the Priest as he has bidden me to do.'
' 1 have done many an ill deed for thee, mistress, but of all
of them I love this the least,' said the thrall, doubtfully.
' I have done many a good deed for thee, Koll. It was I
who saved thee from
the Doom-stone, seem-
ing to prove thee inno-
cent— ay, even when
thy back was stretched
on it, because thou
hadst slain a man in
his sleep. Is it not so ? '
* Yea, mistress.'
* And yet thou wast
guilty, Koll. And I
have given thee many
good gifts, is it not so ? '
' Yes, it is so.'
'Listen then: serve
me this once and I will
give thee one last gift —
thy freedom, and with
it two hundred in sil-
ver.'
Roll's eyes glistened. * What must I do, mistress ? '
' To-day at the wedding-feast it will be thy part to pour
the cups while Asmund calls the toasts. Last of all, when
men are merry, thou wilt mix that cup in which Asmund shall
pledge Unna his wife and Unna must pledge Asmund. Now,
when thou hast poured, thou shalt pass the cup to me, as I
stand at the foot of the high seat, waiting to give the bride
greeting on behalf of the serving-women of the household. Thou
shalt hand the cup to me as though in error, and that is but a
little thing to ask of thee.'
GliOA BREWS A LOVE-POTION.
1 68 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
' A little thing indeed,' said Roll, staring at her, and pulling
with his hand at his red hair, ' yet I like it not. What if I say
no, mistress ? '
' Say no or speak of this and I will promise thee one thing
only, thou knave, and it is, before winter conies, that the crows
shall pick thy bones ! Now, brave me, if thou darest,' and
straightway Groa began to mutter witch-words.
'Nay,' said Koll, holding up his hand as though to ward
away a blow. ' Curse me not : I will do as thou wilt. But
when shall I touch the two hundred in silver ? '
' I will give thee half before the feast begins, and half when
it is ended, and with it freedom to go where thou wilt. And
now leave me, and on thy life see that thou fail me not.'
'I have never failed thee yet,' said Koll, and went his
ways.
Now Groa set the pot upon the fire, and, placing in it
the herbs that she had gathered, poured water on them. Pre-
sently they began to boil and as they boiled she stirred them with
a peeled stick and muttered spells over them. For long she
sat in that dim and lonely place stirring the pot and muttering
spells, till at length the brew was done.
She lifted the pot from the fire and smelt at it. Then
drawing a phial from her robe she poured out the liquor and
held it to the sky. The witch-water was white as milk, but
presently it grew clear. She looked at it, then smiled evilly.
' Here is a love-draught for a queen — ah, a love-draught
for a queen ! ' she said, and, still smiling, she placed the phial
in her breast.
Then, having scattered the fire with her foot, Groa took the
pot and threw it into a deep pool of water, where it could not
be found readily, and crept back to the stead before men were
awake.
Now the day wore on and all the company were gathered
at the marriage-feast to the number of nearly two hundred.
Unna sat in the high seat, and men thought her a bonny bride,
and by her side sat Asmund the Priest. He was a hale, strong
man to look on, though he had seen some three-score winters ;
L1J
:
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 169
but his mien was sad, and his heart heavy. He drank cup
after cup to cheer him, but all without avail. For his
thought sped back across the years and once more he seemed
to see the face of Gudruda the Gentle as she lay dying,
and to hear her voice when she foretold evil to him if he had
aught to do with Groa the Witch-wife. And now it seemed
to him that the evil was at hand, though whence it should
come he knew not. He looked up. There Groa moved along
the hall, ministering to the guests ; but he saw as she moved
that her eyes were always fixed, now on him and now on
Unna. He remembered that curse also which Groa had called
down upon him when he had told her that he was betrothed
to Unna, and his heart grew cold with fear. 'Now I will
change my counsel,' Asmund said to himself : ' Groa shall not
stay here in this stead, for I will look no longer on that dark
face of hers. She goes hence to-morrow.'
Not far from Asmund sat Bjorn, his son. As Gudruda the
Fair, his sister, brought him mead he caught her by the sleeve,
whispering in her ear. ' Methinks our father is sad. What
weighs upon his heart ? '
I know not,' said Gudruda, but as she spoke she looked
t on Asmund, then at Groa.
' It is ill that Groa should stop here,' whispered Bjorn
.gain.
* It is ill,' answered Gudruda, and glided away.
Asmund saw their talk and guessed its purport. Rousing
mself he laughed aloud and called to Koll the Half-witted to
pour the cups that he might name the toasts.
Koll filled, and, as Asmund called the toasts one by one,
oil handed the cups to him. Asmund drank deep of each,
till at length his sorrow passed from him, and, together with all
ho sat there, he grew merry.
Last of all came the toast of the bride's cup. But before
Asmund called it, the women of the household drew near
he high seat to welcome Unna, when she should have drunk,
udruda stood foremost, and Groa was next to her.
Now Koll filled as before, and it was a great cup of gold
at he filled.
aga
1 70 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Asmund rose to call the toast, and with him all. who were
in the hall. Koll brought up the cup, and handed it, not to
Asmund, but to Groa ; but there were few who noted this, for
all were listening to Asmund's toast and most of the guests
were somewhat drunken.
1 The cup,' cried Asmund — ' give me the cup that I may
drink.'
Then Groa started forward, and as she did so she seemed to
stumble, so that for a moment her robe covered up the great
bride-cup. Then she gathered herself together slowly, and,
smiling, passed up the cup.
Asmund lifted it to his lips and drank deep. Then he
turned and gave it to Unna his wife, but before she drank he
kissed her on the lips.
Now while all men shouted such a welcome that the hall
shook, and as Unna, smiling, drank from the cup, the eyes of
Asmund fell upon Groa who stood beneath him, and lo ! her
eyes seemed to flame and her face was hideous as the face of
a troll.
Asmund grew white and put his hand to his head, as though
to think, then cried aloud :
' Drink, not, Unna ! the draught is drugged ! ' and he struck
at the vessel with his hand.
He smote it indeed, and so hard that it flew from her hand
far down the hall.
But Unna had already drunk deep.
' The draught is drugged ! ' Asmund cried, and pointed to
Groa, while all men stood silent, not knowing what to do.
* The draught is drugged ! ' he cried a third time, ' and
that witch has drugged it ! ' And he began to tear at his
breast.
Then Groa laughed so shrilly that men trembled to
hear her.
' Yea, lord,' she screamed, ' the draught is drugged, and
Groa the Witch-wife hath drugged it ! Ay, tear thy heart out,
Asmund, and, Unna, grow thou white as snow— soon, if my
medicine has virtue, thou shalt be whiter yet ! Hearken all
men. Asmund the Priest is Swanhild's father, and for many
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 171
a year I have been Asmund's mate. What did I tell thee,
lord ? — that I would see the two of you dead ere Unna should
take my place ! — ay, and on Gudruda the Fair, thy daughter, and
Bjorn thy son, and Eric Brighteyes, Gudruda'slove, and many
another man— on them too shall my curse fall ! Tear thy
heart out, Asmund ! Unna, grow thou white as snow ! The
draught is drugged and Groa, Kan's gift ! Groa the witch-wife !
Groa, Asmund's love ! hath drugged it ! '
And ere ever a man might lift a hand to stay her Groa
glided past the high seat and was gone.
For a space all stood silent. Asmund ceased clutching at
his breast. Rising he spoke heavily :
'Now I learn that sin is a stone to smite him who
hurled it. Gudruda the Gentle spoke sooth when she warned
me against this woman. New wed, new dead ! Unna, fare
thee well ! '
And straightway Asmund fell down and died there by the
high seat in his own hall.
Unna gazed at him with ashen face. Then, plucking at her
bosom she sprang from the dais and rushed along the hall,
screaming. Men made way for her, and at the door she also
fell dead.
This then was the end of Asmund Asmundson the Priest,
and Unna, Thorod's daughter, Eric's cousin, his new-made
wife.
For a moment there was silence in the hall. But before the
jhoes of Unna's screams had died away, Bjorn called aloud :
' The witch ! where is the witch ? '
Then with a yell of rage, men leaped to their feet, seizing
leir weapons, and rushed from the stead. Out they ran.
'here, on the hill-side far above them, a black shape climbed
id leapt swiftly. They gave tongue like dogs set upon a
rolf and sped up the hill.
They gained the crest of the hill, and now they were at
roldfoss brink. Lo ! the witch-wife had crossed the bed of
te torrent, for little rain had fallen and the river was low.
1 72 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
She stood on Sheep-saddle, the water running from her robes.
On Sheep-saddle she stood and cursed them.
Bjorn took a bow and set a shaft upon the string. He drew
it and the arrow sung through the air and smote her, speeding
through her heart. With a cry Groa threw up her arms.
Then down she plunged. She fell on Wolf's Fang, where
Eric once had stood and, bounding thence, rushed to the
boiling deeps below and was no more seen for ever.
Thus, then, did Asmund the Priest wed Unna, Thorod's
daughter, and this was the end of the feasting.
Thereafter Bjorn, Asmund's son, ruled at Middalhof, and
was Priest in his place. He sought for Koll the Half-witted
to kill him, but Koll took to the fells, and after many months
he found passage in a ship that was bound for Scotland.
Now Bjorn was a hard man and a greedy. He was no
friend to Eric Brighteyes, and always pressed it on Gudruda
that she should wed Ospakar Blacktooth. But to this counsel
Gudruda would not listen, for day and night she thought upon
her love. Next summer there came tidings that Eric was safe
in Ireland, and men spoke of his deeds, and of how he and
Skallagrim had swept the ship of Ospakar single-handed.
Now after these tidings, for a while Gudruda walked singing
through the meads, and no flower that grew in them was half
so fair as she.
That summer also Ospakar Blacktooth met Bjorn,
Asmund's son, at the Thing, and they talked much together in
secret.
Right through her heart it sped.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER XVIII
HOW EAEL ATLI FOUND ERIC AND SKALLAGBIM ON THE
SOUTHERN HOCKS OF STRAUMEY ISLE
WANHILD, robed in
white, as though new
risen from sleep, stood,
candle in hand, hy the
bed of Atli the Earl, her
lord, crying ' Awake ! '
' What passes now ? '
said Atli, lifting himself
upon his arm. ' What
passes, Swanhild, and why
dost thou ever wander alone at nights, looking so strangely ?
I love not thy dark witch- ways, Swanhild, and I was wed to
thee in an ill hour, wife who art no wife.'
' In an ill hour indeed, Earl Atli,' she answered, * an ill hour
for thee and me, for, as thou hast said, eld and youth are strange
EIUC AXD SKALLAGRIM WASHED
AflHOBB,
I74 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
yokefellows and pull different paths. Arise now, Earl, for I
have dreamed a dream.'
* Tell it to me on the morrow, then,' quoth Atli ; * there is
small joyousness in thy dreams, that always point to evil, and
I must bear enough evil of late.'
' Nay, lord, my rede may not be put aside so. Listen now :
I have dreamed that a great dragon of war has been cast away
upon Straumey's south-western rocks. The cries of those who
drowned rang in my ears. But I thought that some came
living to the shore, and lie there senseless, to perish of the
cold. Arise, therefore, take men and go down to the rocks.'
* I will go at daybreak,' said Atli, letting his head fall upon
the pillow. ' I have little faith in such visions, and it is too
late for long ships of war to try the passage of the Firth.'
* Arise, I say,' answered Swanhild sternly, ' and do niy
bidding, else I will myself go to search the rocks.'
Then Atli rose grumbling, and shook the heavy sleep from
his eyes : for of all living folk he most feared Swanhild his wife.
He donned his garments, threw a thick cloak about him, and,
going to the hall where men snored around the dying fires, for
the night was bitter, he awoke some of them. Now among
those men whom he called was Hall of Lithdale, Hall the
mate who had cut the grapnel-chain. For this Hall, fearing
to return to Iceland, had come hither saying that he had been
wounded off Fareys, in the great fight between Eric and
Ospakar's men, and left there to grow well of his hurt or die.
Then Atli, not knowing that the carle lied, had bid him wel-
come for Eric's sake, for he still loved Eric above all men.
But Hall loved not labour and nightfarings to search for
shipwrecked men of whom the Lady Swanhild had chanced
to dream. So he turned himself upon his side and slept again.
Still, certain of Atli's folk rose at his bidding, and they went
together down to the south-western rocks.
But Swanhild, a cloak thrown over her night- gear, sat her-
self down in the high seat of the hall and fixing her eyes,
now upon the dying fires and now upon the blood-marks in
her arm, waited in silence. The night was cold and windy,
but the moon shone bright, and by its light Atli and his people
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 175
made their way to the south-western rocks, on which the sea
beat madly.
1 What lies yonder ? ' said Atli, pointing to some black thing
that lay beneath them upon the rock, cast there by the waves.
A man climbed down the cliff's side that is here as though it
were cut in steps, and then cried aloud :
1 A ship's mast, new broken, lord.'
' It seems that Swanhild dreams true,' muttered Atli ;
' but I am sure of this : that none have come ashore alive in
such a sea.'
Presently the man who searched the rocks below cried
aloud again :
1 Here lie two great men, locked in each other's arms.
They seem to be dead.'
Now all the men climb down the slippery rocks as best they
may, though the spray wets them, and with them goes Atli. The
Earl is a brisk man, though old in years, and he comes first to
where the two lie. He who was undermost lay upon his back, but
his face was hid by the thick golden hair that flowed across it.
1 Man's body indeed, but woman's locks,' said Atli as he
put out his hand and drew the hair away, so that the light of
the moon fell on the face beneath.
He looked, then staggered back against the rock.
* By Thor ! ' he cried, ' here lies the corpse of Eric Bright-
eyes ! ' and Atli wrung his hands and wept, for he loved Eric
much.
1 Be not so sure that the men are dead, Earl,' said one,
' I thought I saw yon great carle move but now.'
' He is Skallagrim Lambstail, Eric's Death-shadow,' said
Atli again. ' Up with them, lads — see, yonder lies a plank — and
away to the hall. I will give twenty in silver to each of you
if Eric lives,' and he unclasped his cloak and threw it over
both of them.
Then with much labour they loosed the grip of the two
men one from the other, and they set Skallagrim on the plank.
Jut eight men bore Eric up the cliff between them, and the
3k was not light, though the Earl held his head, from which
golden hair hung like seaweed from a rock.
i76 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
At length they came to the hall and carried them in. Swan-
hild, seeing them come, moved down from the high seat.
* Bring lamps, and pile up the fires,' cried Atli. ' A strange
thing has come to pass, Swanhild, and thou dost dream
wisely, indeed, for here we have Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim
Lambstail. They were locked like lovers in each other's arms,
but I know not if they are dead or living.'
Now Swanhild started and came on swiftly. Had the
Familiar tricked her and had she paid the price for nothing ?
Was Eric taken from Gudruda and given to her indeed — but
given dead ? She bent over him, gazing keenly on his face.
Then she spoke.
'He is not dead but senseless. Bring dry cloths, and
make water hot,' and, kneeling down, she loosed Eric's helm
and harness and ungirded Whitefire from his side.
For long Swanhild and Atli tended Eric at one fire, and the
serving women tended Skallagrim at the other. Presently there
came a cry that Skallagrim stirred, and Atli with others ran to
see. At this moment also the eyes of Eric were unsealed, and
Swanhild saw them looking at her dimly from beneath. Then,
moved to it by her passion and her joy that he yet lived, Swan-
hild let her face fall till his was hidden in her unbound hair,
and kissed him upon the lips. Eric shut his eyes again, sighing
heavily, and presently he was asleep. They bore him to a bed
and heaped warm wrappings upon him. At daybreak he
woke, and Atli, who sat watching at his side, gave him hot
mead to drink.
' Do I dream ? ' said Eric, ' or is it Earl Atli who tends me,
and did I but now see the face of Swanhild bending over me ? '
' It is no dream, Eric, but the truth. Thou hast been cast
away here on my isle of Straumey.'
' And Skallagrim — where is Skallagrim ? '
' Skallagrim lives — fear not ! '
' And my comrades, how went it with them ? '
' But ill, Eric. Ran has them all. Now sleep !'
Eric groaned aloud. ' I had rather died also than live to
hear such heavy tidings,' he said. ' Witch-work ! witch-work !
and that fair witch-face wrought it.' And once again he slept,
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 177
nor did he wake till the sun was high. But Atli could make
nothing of his words.
When Swanhild left the side of Eric she met Hall of Lith-
dale face to face and his looks were troubled.
' Say, lady,' he asked, ' will Brighteyes live ? '
' Grieve not, Hall,' she answered, 'Eric will surely live and
he will be glad to find a messmate here to greet him, having
left so many yonder,' and she pointed to the sea.
' 1 shall not be glad,' said Hall', letting his eyes fall.
' Why not, Hall ? Fearest thou Skallagrim ? or hast
thou done ill by Eric ? '
' Ay, lady, I fear Skallagrim, for he swore to slay me, and
that kind of promise he ever keeps. Also, if the truth must
out, I have not dealt altogether well with Eric, and of all men
I least wish to talk with him.'
' Speak on,' she said.
Then, being forced to it, Hall told her something of the tale
of the cutting of the cable, being careful to put another colour
on it.
' Now it seems that thou art a coward, Hall,' Swanhild said
when he had done, ' and I scarcely looked for that in thee,' for
she had not been deceived by the glozing of his speech. ' It
will be bad for thee to meet Eric suul Skallagrim, and this is
my counsel : that thou goest hence before they wake, for they
will sit this winter here in Atli's hall.'
' And whither shall I go, lady ? '
Swanhild gazed on him, and as she did so a dark thought
e into her heart : here was a knave who might serve her
ends.
' Hall,' she said, ' thou art an Icelander, and I have known
of thee from a child, and therefore I wish to serve thee in
thy strait, though thou deservest it little. See now, Atli
the Earl has a farm on the mainland not two hours' ridu from
the sea. Thither thou shalt go, if thou art wise, and thou
shalt sit there this winter and be hidden from Eric and Skalla-
grim. Nay, thank me not, but listen : it may chance that I
shall have a service for thee to do before spring is come.'
N
cam
,78 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 Lady, I shall wait upon thy word,' said Hall.
' Good. Now, so soon as it is light, I will find a man to
sail with thee across the Firth, for the sea falls, and bear my
message to the steward at Atli's farm. Also if thou needest
faring-money thou shalt have it. Farewell.'
Thus then did Hall fly before Eric and Skallagrim.
On the morrow Eric and Skallagrim arose, sick and bruised
indeed, but not at all harmed, and went down to the shore.
There they found many dead men of their company, but never
a one in whom the breath of life remained.
Skallagrim looked at Eric and spoke : ' Last night the
mist came up against the wind : last night we saw Swauhild's
wraith upon the waves, and there is the path it showed, and
there ' — and he pointed to the dead men — ' is the witch -seed's
flower. Now to-day we sit in Atli's hall and here we must
stay this winter at Swanhild's side, and in all this lies a riddle
that I cannot read.'
But Eric shook his head, making no answer. Then, leaving
Skallagrim with the dead, he turned, and striding back alone
towards the hall, sat down on a rock in the home meadows
and, covering his face with his hands, wept for his comrades.
As he wept Swanhild came to him, for she had seen him
from afar, and touched him gently on the arm.
' Why weepest thou, Eric ? ' she said.
' 1 weep for the dead, Swanhild,' he answered.
' Weep not for the dead— they are at peace ; if thou must
weep, weep for the living. Nay, weep not at all ; rejoice rather
that thou art here to mourn. Hast thou no word of greeting
for me who have not heard thy voice these many months ? '
1 How shall I greet thee, Swanhild, who would never have
seen thy face again if I might have had my will ? Knowest
thou that yesternight, as we laboured in yonder Firth, we saw
a shape walking the waters to lead us to our doom ? How
shall I greet thee, Swanhild, who art a witch and evil ? '
' And knowest thou, Eric, that yesternight I woke from
sleep, having dreamed that thou didst lie upon the shore, anc
thus I saved thee alive, as perchance I have saved thee afon
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 179
time ? If thou didst see a shape walking the waters it
was that shape which led thee here. Hadst thou sailed on,
not only those thou mournest, but Skallagrim and thou thyself
had now been numbered with the lost.'
'Better so than thus,' said Brighteyes. * Knowest thou
also, Swanhild, that when last night my life came back again
in Atli's hall, methought that Atli's wife leaned over me and
kissed me on the lips ? That was an ill dream, Swanhild.'
' Some had found it none so ill, Eric,' she made answer,
looking on him strangely. ' Still, it was but a dream. Thou
didst dream that Atli's wife breathed back the breath of life
into thy pale lips — be sure of it thou didst but dream. Ah,
Eric, fear me no more ; forget the evil that I have wrought in
the blindness and folly of my youth. Now things are other-
wise with me. Now I am a wedded wife and faithful hearted
to my lord. Now, if I still love thee, it is with a sister's love.
Therefore forget my sins, remember only that as children we
played upon the Iceland fells. Remember that, as boy and girl,
we rode along the marshes, while the sea-mews clamoured
round our heads. The world is cold, Eric, and few are the friends
we find in it ; many are already gone, and soon the friend-
less dark draws near. So put me not away, my brother and
my friend ; but, for a little space, whilst thou art here in Atli's
hall, let us walk hand in hand as we walked long years ago
in Iceland, gathering the fifa-bloom, and watching the mid-
night shadows creep up the icy jokul's crests.'
Thus Swanhild spoke to him most sweetly, in a low voice
of music, while the tears gathered in her -eyes, talking ever
of Iceland that he loved, and of days long dead, till Eric's
heart softened in him.
' Almost do I believe thee, Swanhild,' he said, stretching
out his hand ; ' but I know this : that thou art never twice in
the same mood, and that is beyond my measuring. Thou
hast done much evil and thou hast striven to do more ; also
I love not those who seem to walk the seas o' nights. Still,
hold thou to this last saying of thine and there shall be
peace between us while I bide here.'
She touched his hand humbly and turned to go. But as
N2
180 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
she went Eric spoke again : ' Say, Swanliild, hast thou tidings
from Iceland yonder ? I have heard no word of Asmund or
of Gudruda for two long years and more.'
She stood still, and a dark shadow that he could not see
flitted across her face.
*I have few tidings, Eric,' she said, turning, 'and those
few, if I may trust them, bad enough. For this is the rumour
that I have heard : that Asmund the Priest, my father, is dead ;
that Groa my mother is dead — how, I know not ; and, lastly,
that Gudruda the Fair, thy love, is betrothed to Ospakar Black-
tooth and weds him in the spring.'
Now Eric sprang up with an oath and grasped the hilt of
Whitefire. Then he sat down again upon the stone and
covered his face with his hands.
1 Grieve not, Eric,' she said gently ; ' I put no faith in
this news, for rumour, like the black-backed gull, often
changes colour in its flight across the seas. Also I had it
but at fifth hand. I am sure of this, at least, that Gudruda
will never forsake thee without a cause.'
' It shall go ill with Ospakar if this be true,' said Eric,
smiling grimly, * for Whitefire is yet left me and with it one
true friend.'
' Run not to meet the evil, Eric. Thou shalt come to Ice-
land with the summer flowers and find Gudruda faithful and
yet fairer than of yore. Knowest thou that Hall of Lithdale,
who was thy mate, has sat here these two months ? He is
gone but this morning, I know not whither, leaving a message
that he returns no more.'
1 He did well to go,' said Eric, and he told her how Hall
had cut the cable.
' Ay, well indeed,' answered Swanhild. ' Had Atli known
this he would have scourged Hall hence with rods of seaweed.
And now, Eric, I desire to ask thee one more thing : why
wearest thou thy hair long like a woman's? Indeed, few
women have such hair as thine is now.'
1 For this cause, Swanhild : I swore to Gudruda that none
should cut my hair till she cut it once more. It is a great bur-
den to me surely, for never did hair grow so fast and strong as
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 181
mine, and once in a fray I was held fast by it and went near
to the losing of my life. Still, I will keep the oath even if it
grows on to my feet,' and he laughed a little and shook back
his golden locks.
Swanhild smiled also and, turning, went. But when her
face was hidden from him she smiled no more.
' As I live,' she said in her heart, * before spring rains fall
again I will cause thee to break this oath, Eric. Ay, I will
cut a lock of that bright hair of thine and send it for a love-
token to Gudruda.'
But Eric still sat upon the rock thinking. Swanhild had set
an evil seed of doubt in his heart, and already it put forth roots.
What if the tale were true ? What if Gudruda had given her-
self to Ospakar ? Well, if so — she should soon be a widow, that
he swore.
Then he rose, and stalked grimly towards the hall.
[82
ERIC BR1GHTEYES
CHAPTER XIX
HOW ROLL THE HALF-WITTED BROUGHT TIDINGS
FEOM ICELAND
:ESENTLY as Eric
walked he met Atli the
Earl seeking him. Atli
greeted him.
' I have seen strange
things happen, Eric,' he
said, 'but none more
strange than this coming
of thine and the manner
of it. Swanhild is fore-
sighted, and that was a
doom-dream of hers.'
' I think her fore-
sighted also,' said Eric. * And now, Earl, knowest thou this :
that little good can come to thee at the hands of one whom
thou hast saved from the sea.'
' I set no faith in such old wives' tales,' answered Atli.
' Here thou art come, and it is my will that thou shouldest sit
here. At the least, I will give thee no help to go hence.'
1 Then we must bide in Straumey, it seems,' said Eric:
'for of all my goods and gear this alone is left me,' and he
looked at Whitefire.
1 Thou hast still a gold ring or two upon thy arm,' an-
swered the Earl, laughing. * But surely, Eric, thou wouldst
not begone ? '
4 1 know not, Earl. Listen : it is well that I should be
THE BROKEN LOVE -TOKEN.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 183
plain with thee. Once, before thou didst wed Swanhild, she
had another mind.'
' I have heard something of that, and I have guessed more,
Brighteyes ; but methinks Swanhild is little given to gadding
now. She is as cold as ice, and no good wife for any man,'
and Atli sighed, ' " Snow melts not if sun shines not," so runs
the saw. Thou art an honest man, Eric, and no whisperer
in the ears of others' wives.'
'I am not minded indeed to do thee such harm, Earl,
but this thou knowest : that woman's guile and beauty are
swords few shields can brook. Now I have spoken — and -they
are hard words to speak — be it as thou wilt.'
' It is my will that thou shouldest sit here this winter,
Eric. Had I my way, indeed, never wouldest thou sit else-
where. Listen : things have not gone well with me of late.
Age hath a grip of me, and foes rise up against one who has
no sons. That was an ill marriage, too, which I made with
Swanhild yonder : for she loves me not, and 1 have found
no luck since first I saw her face. Moreover, it is in my
mind that my days are almost sped. Swanhild has
already foretold my death, and, as thou knowest well, she is
foresighted. So I pray thee, Eric, bide thou here while
thou mayest, for I would have thee at my side.'
' It shall be as thou wilt, Earl,' said Eric.
So Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail sat that
winter in the hall of Atli the Earl at Straumey. For many
weeks all things went well and Eric forgot his fears. Swanhild
was gentle to him and kindly. She loved much to talk with
him, even of Gudruda her rival ; but no word of love passed
her lips. Nevertheless, she did but bide her time, for when
she struck she determined to strike home. Atli and Eric
were ever side by side, and Eric gave the Earl much good
counsel. He promised to do this also, for now, being simple-
minded, his doubts had passed and he had no more fear of
Swanhild. On the mainland lived a certain chief who had
seized large lands of Atli's, and held them for a year or more.
Now Eric gave his word that, before he sailed for Iceland in
i84 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
the early summer, he would go up against this man and
drive him from the lands, if he could. For Brighteyes might
not come to Iceland till hard upon midsummer, when his
three years of outlawry were spent.
The winter wore away and the spring came. Then Atli
gathered his men and went with Eric in boats to where the
chief dwelt who held his lands. There they fell on him and
that was a fierce fight. But in the end the man was slain by
Skallagrim, and Eric did great deeds, as was his wont. Now
in this fray Eric was wounded in the foot by a spear, so that
he must be borne back to Straumey, and he lay there in the
hall for many days. Swanhild nursed him, and most days
he sat talking with her in her bower.
When Eric was nearly healed of his hurt, the Earl went
with all his people to a certain island of the Orkneys to gather
scat l that was unpaid, and Skallagrim went with him. But
Eric did not go, because of his hurt, fearing lest the wound
should open if he walked overmuch. Thus it came to pass
that, except for some women, he was left almost alone with
Swanhild.
Now, when Atli had been gone three days, it chanced on an
afternoon that Swanhild heard how a man from Iceland
sought speech with her. She bade them bring him in to
where she was alone in her bower, for Eric was not there,
having gone down to the sea to fish.
The man came and she knew him at once • for Koll the
Half-witted, who had been her mother Groa's thrall. On his
shoulders was the cloak that Ospakar Blacktooth had given
him ; it was much torn now, and he had a worn and hungry
look.
' Whence comest thou, Koll ? ' she asked, ' and what are
thy tidings ? '
' From Scotland last, lady, where I sat this winter ; before
that, from Iceland. As for my tidings, they are heavy, if thou
hast not heard them. Asmund the Priest is dead, and dead
is Unna his wife, poisoned by thy mother, Groa, at their mar-
riage-feast. Dead, too, is thy mother, Groa. Bjorn, Asmund's
1 Tribute.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 185
son, shot her with an arrow, and she lies in Goldfoss
pool.'
Now Swanhild hid her face for a while in her hands.
Then she lifted it and it was white to see. ' Speakest thou
truth, fox ? If thou liest, this I swear to thee — thy tongue
shall be dragged from thee by the roots ! '
' I speak the truth, lady,' he answered. But still he spoke
not all the truth, for he said nothing of the part which he had
played in the deaths of Asmund and Unna. Then he told
her of the manner of their end.
Swanhild listened silently — then said :
' What news of Gudruda, Asmund's daughter ? Is she
wed ? '
'Nay, lady. Folk spoke of her and Ospakar, that was
all.'
* Hearken, Koll,' said Swanhild, 'bearing such heavy tidings,
canst thou not weight the ship a little more ? Eric Brighteyes
is here. Canst thou not swear to him that, when thou didst
leave Iceland it was said without question that Gudruda had
betrothed herself to Ospakar, and that the wedding-feast was
set for this last Yule ? Thou hast a hungry look, Koll, and
methinks that things have not gone altogether well with thee
of late. Now, if thou canst so charge thy memory, thou shalt
lose little by it. But, if thou canst not, then thou goest hence
from Straumey with never a luck-penny in thy purse, and
never a sup to stay thy stomach with.'
Now of all things Koll least desired to be sent from
Straumey ; for, though Swanhild did not know it, he was
sought for on the mainland as a thief.
'That I may do, lady,' he said, looking at her cunningly.
' Now I remember that Gudruda the Fair charged me with
certain message for Eric Brighteyes, if I should chance to
e him as I journeyed.'
Then Swanhild, Atli's wife, and Koll the Half-witted talked
ng and earnestly together.
At nightfall Eric came in from his fishing. His heart
light, for the time drew near when he should sail for
1 86 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
home, and he did not think on evil. For now he feared
Swanhild no longer, and, no fresh tidings having come from
Iceland about Ospakar and Gudruda, he had almost put the
matter from his mind. On he walked to the hall, limping
somewhat from his wound, but singing as he came, and bearing
his fish slung upon a pole.
At the men's door of the hall a woman stood waiting.
She told Eric that the lady Swanhild would speak with him
in her bower. Thither he went and knocked. Getting no
answer he knocked again, then entered.
Swanhild sat on a couch. She was weeping, and her hair
fell about her face.
1 What now, Swanhild ? ' he said.
She looked up heavily. ' 111 news for thee and me, Eric.
Koll, who was my mother's thrall, has come hither from Ice-
land, and these are his tidings : that Asmund is dead, and
Unna, thy cousin, Thorod of Greenfell's daughter, is dead, and
my mother Groa is dead also.'
1 Heavy tidings, truly ! ' said Eric ; * and what of Gudruda,
is she also dead ? '
1 Nay, Eric, she is wed — wed to Ospakar.'
Now Eric reeled against the wall, clutching it, and for a
space all things swam round him. ' Where is this Koll ? ' he
gasped. ' Send me Koll hither.'
Presently he came, and Eric questioned him coldly and
calmly. But Koll could lie full well. It is said that in his
day there was no one in Iceland who could lie so well as Koll
the Half-witted. He told Eric how it was said that Gudruda
was plighted to Ospakar, and how the match had been agreed
on at the Althing in the summer that was gone (and indeed
there had been some such talk), and how that the feast was
to be at Middalhof on last Yule Day.
' Is that all thy tidings ? ' said Eric. ' If so, I give no
heed to them : for ever, Koll, I have known thee for a liar ! '
' Nay, Eric, it is not all,' answered Koll. c As it chanced,
two days before the ship in which I sailed was bound, I saw
Gudruda the Fair. Then she asked me whither I was going,
and I told her that I would journey to London, where men
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 187
said thoti wert, and asked her if she would send a message.
Then she alighted from her horse, Blackmane, and spoke
with me apart. ' Roll,' she said, ' it well may happen that thou
wilt see Eric Brighteyes in London town. Now, if thou seest
him, I charge thee straightly tell him this. Tell him that
my father is dead, and my brother Bjorn, who rules in his
place, is a hard man, and has ever urged me on to wed Ospakar,
till at last, having no choice, I have consented to it. And say
to Eric that I grieve much and sorely, and that, though we
twain should never meet more, yet I shall always hold his
memory dear.'
* It is not like Gudrtida to speak thus,' said Eric : * she
had ever a stout heart and these are craven words. Koll, I
hold that thou liest ; and, if indeed I find it so, I'll wring the
head from off thee ! '
' Nay, Eric, I lie not. "Wherefore should I lie ? Hearken :
thou hast not heard all my tale. When the lady Gudruda had
made an end of speaking she drew something from her breast
and gave it me, saying : " Give this to Eric, in witness of my
words."
* Show me the token,' said Eric.
Now, many years ago, when they were yet boy and girl, it
chanced that Eric had given to Gudruda the half of an ancient
gold piece that he had found upon the shore. He had given
her half, and half he had kept, wearing it next his heart.
But he knew not this, for she feared to tell him, that Gudruda
ad lost her half. Nor indeed had she lost it, for Swanhild
taken the love-token and hidden it away. Now she
rought it forth for Koll to build his lies upon.
Then Koll drew out the half piece from a leather purse
and passed it to him. Eric plunged his hand into his breast
Ed found his half. He placed the two side by side, while
^anhild watched him. Lo ! they fitted well.
Then Eric laughed aloud, a hard and bitter laugh. « There
11 be slaying,' he cried, ' before all this tale is told,
ike thy fee and begone, thou messenger of ill,' and he cast
e broken piece at Koll. ' For once thou hast spoken the
truth.'
!88 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Koll stooped, found the gold and went, leaving Brighteyes
and Swanhild face to face.
He hid his brow in his arms and groaned aloud. Softly
Swanhild crept up to him— softly she drew his hands away,
holding them between her own.
' Heavy tidings, Eric,' she said, ' heavy tidings for thee
and me ! She is a murderess who gave me birth and she has
slain my own father — my father and thy cousin Unna also.
Gudruda is a traitress, a traitress fair and false. I did ill to
be born of such a woman ; thou didst ill to put thy faith in
such a woman. Together let us weep, for our woe is equal.'
'Ay, let us weep together,' Eric answered. 'Nay, why
should we weep ? Together let us be merry, for we
know the worst. All words are said— all hopes are sped ! Let
us be merry, then, for now we have no more tidings to fear.'
' Ay,' Swanhild answered, looking on him darkly, ' we
will be merry and laugh our sorrows down. Ah ! thou foolish
Eric, under what unlucky star wrast thou born that thou
knewest not true from false ? ' and she called the serving-
women, bidding them bring food and wine.
Now Eric sat alone with Swanhild in her bower and
made pretence to eat. But he could eat little, though he
drank deep of the southern wine. Close beside him sat
Swanhild, filling his cup. She was wondrous fair that
night, and it seemed to Eric that her eyes gleamed like stars.
Sweetly she spoke also and wisely. She told strange tales
and she sang strange songs, and ever her eyes shone more
and more, and ever she crept closer to him. Eric's brain was
afire, though his heart was cold and dead. He laughed loud
and mightily, he told great tales of deeds that he had done,
growing boastful in his folly, and still Swanhild's eyes shone
more and more, and still she crept closer, wooing him in
many ways.
Now of a sudden Eric thought of his friend, Earl Atli,
and his mind grew clear.
' This may not be, Swanhild,' he said. 'Yet I would that
I had loved thee from the first, and not the false Gudruda :
for, with all thy dark ways, at least thou art better than she.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 189
' Thou speakest wisely, Eric,' Swanhild answered, though
she meant not that he should go. * The Norns have appointed
us an evil fate, giving me as wife to an old man whom I do
not love, and thee for a lover to a woman who has betrayed
thee. Ah, Eric Brighteyes, thou foolish Eric ! why knewest
thou not the false from the true while yet there was time ?
Now are all words said and all things done — nor can they be
undone. Go hence, Eric, ere ill come of it ; but, before thou
goest, drink one cup of parting, and then farewell.'
And she slipped from him and filled the cup, mixing in it
a certain love-potion that she had made ready.
' Give it me that I may swear an oath on it,' said
Eric.
Swanhild gave him the cup and stood before him, watching
him.
' Hearken/ he said : ' I swear this, that before snow falls
again in Iceland I will see Ospakar dead at my feet or lie dead
at the feet of Ospakar.'
' Well spoken, Eric,' Swanhild answered. ' Now, before
thou drinkest, grant me one little boon. It is but a woman's
fancy, and thou canst scarce deny me. The years will be
long when thou art gone, for from this night it is best that we
should meet no more, and I would keep something of thee to
call back thy memory and the memories of our youth when
thou hast passed away and I grow old.'
' What wouldst have then, Swanhild ? I have nothing left
give, except Whitefire alone.'
' I do not ask Whitefire, Eric, though Whitefire shall kiss
ie gift. I ask nothing but one tress of that golden hair of
ine.'
' Once I swore that none should touch my hair again ex-
pt Gudruda's self.'
'It will grow long, then, Eric, for now Gudruda tends
(lack locks and thinks little on golden. Broken are all
oaths.'
tEric groaned. ' All oaths are broken in sooth,' he said.
Eave then thy will ; ' and, loosing the peace -strings, he drew
hitefire from its sheath and gave her the great war- sword.
I9o ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Swanhild took it by the hilt, and, lifting a tress of Eric's
yellow hair, she shore through it deftly with Whitefire's razor-
edge, smiling as she shore. With the same war-blade on
which Eric and Gudruda had pledged their troth, did Swan-
hild cut the locks that Eric had sworn no hand should clip
except Gudruda's.
He took back the sword and sheathed it, and, knotting the
long tress, Swanhild hid it in her bosom.
' Now drink the cup, Eric,' she said — 'pledge me and go.'
Eric drank to the dregs and cast the cup down, and lo ! all
things changed to him, for his blood was afire, and seas seemed
to roll within his brain. Only before him stood Swanhild like
a shape of light and glory, and he thought that she sang softly
over him, always drawing nearer, and that with her came a
scent of flowers like the scent of the Iceland meads in May.
* All oaths are broken, Eric,' she murmured, ' all oaths are
broken indeed, and now must new oaths be sworn. For cut
is thy golden hair, Brighteyes, and not by Gudruda's hand ! '
'Swanhild shore through it with Whitefire's razor-edge.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
191
CHAPTER XX
HOW EKIC WAS NAMED ANEW
;
RIG dreamed. He dreamed that
Gudruda stood by him looking
at him with soft, sad eyes, while
with her hand she pointed to
his hair, and spake.
' Thou hast done ill, Eric,'
she seemed to say. ' Thou hast
done ill to doubt me ; and now
thou art for ever shamed, for
thou hast betrayed Atli, thy
friend. Thou hast broken thy
oath, and therefore hast thou
fallen into this pit ; for when
Swanhild shore that lock of
thine, my watching Spirit
passed, leaving thee to Swan-
hild and thy fate. Now, I tell
thee this : that shame shall lead to shame, and many lives
shall pay forfeit for thy sin, Eric.'
Eric awoke, thinking that this was indeed an evil dream
which he had dreamed. Ho woke, and lo ! by him was
Swanhild, Atli's wife. He looked upon her beauty, and fear
and shame crept into his heart, for now he knew that it was no
dream, but he was lost indeed. He looked again at Swanhild,
and hatred and loathing of her shook him. She had over-
come him by her arts ; that cup was drugged which he had
drunk, and he was mad with grief. Yes, she had played upon
I92 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
his woe like a harper on a harp, and now he was shamed—
now he had betrayed his friend who loved him ! Had White-
fire been to his hand at that moment, Eric had surely slain
himself. But the great sword was not there, for it hung in
Swanhild's bower. Eric groaned aloud, and Swanhild turned
at the sound. But he sprang away and stood over her, cursing
her.
* Thou witch ! ' he cried, ' what hast thou done ? What
didst thou mix in that cup yestre'en ? Thou hast brought me
to this that I have betrayed Atli, my friend — Atli, thy lord,
who left thee in my keeping ! '
He seemed so terrible in his woe and rage that Swanhild
shrank from him, and, throwing her hair about her face, peeped
at him through its meshes as once she had peeped at Asmund.
'It is like a man,' she said, gathering up her courage and
her wit ; ' 'tis like a man, having won my love, now to turn
upon me and upbraid me. Fie upon thee, Eric ! thou hast
dealt ill with me to bring me to this.'
Now Eric ceased his raving, and spoke more calmly.
* Well thou knowest the truth, Swanhild.' he said.
'Hearken, Eric,' she answered. 'Let this be secret between
us. Atli is old, and methinks that not for long shall he bide
here in Straumey. Soon he will die ; it is upon my mind that
he soon will die, and, being childless, his lands and goods pass
to me. Then, Eric, thou shalt sit in Atli's hall, and in all
honour shall Atli's wife become thy bride.'
Eric listened coldly. ' I can well believe,' he said, ' that
thou hast it in thy mind to slay thy lord, for all evil is in thy
heart, Swanhild. Now know this : that if in honour or dis-
honour my lips touch that fair face of thine again, may the
limbs rot from my trunk, and may I lie a log for ever in
the halls of Hela ! If ever my eyes of their own will look
again upon thy beauty, may I go blind and beg my meat from
homestead to homestead ! If ever my tongue whisper word of
love into thy ears, may dumbness seize it, and may it wither
to the root ! '
Swanhild heard and sank upon the ground before him,
her head bowed almost to her feet.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 193
'Now, Swanhild, fare thee well,' said Eric. 'Living or
dead, may I never see thy face again ! '
She gazed up through her falling hair ; her face was wild
and white, and her eyes glowed in it as live embers glow in the
ashes of burnt wood.
' We are not so easily parted, Eric,' she said. ' Not for
this came I to witchcraft and to sin. Thou fool ! hast thou
never heard that, of all the foes a man may have, none is so
terrible as the woman he has scorned? Thou shalt learn
this lesson, Eric Brighteyes, Thorgrimur's son : for here we
have but the beginning of the tale. For its end, I will write
it in runes of blood.'
' Write on,' said Eric. ' Thou canst do no worse than
thou hast done,' and he passed thence.
For a while Swanhild crouched upon the ground, brooding
in silence. Then she rose , and, throwing up her arms, wept aloud.
' Is it for this that I have sold my soul to the Hell-hag ? '
she cried. ' Is it for this that I have become a witch, and
sunk so low as I sank last night — to be scorned, to be hated,
to be betrayed ? Now Eric will go to Atli and tell this tale.
Nay, there I will be beforehand with him, and with another
story — an ancient wile of women truly, but one that never
yet has failed them, nor ever will. And then for vengeance !
I will see thee dead, Eric, and dead will I see Gudruda at
thy side ! Afterwards let darkness come — ay, though the
horror rides it ! Swift ! — I must be swift ! '
k^ric
it t
passed into Swanhild's bower, and finding Whitefire
it thence. On the table was food. He took it. Then,
going to the place where he was wont to sleep, he armed
himself, girding his byrnie on his breast and his golden helm
upon his head, and taking shield and spear in his hand.
Then he passed out. By the men's door he found some
women spreading fish in the sun. Eric greeted them,
saying that when the Earl came back, for he was to come on
that morning, he would find him on the south-western rocks
nigh to where the Gudruda sank. This he begged of them
to tell Atli, for he desired speech with him.
i94 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
The women wondered that Brighteyes should go forth thus
and fully armed, but, holding that he had some deed to do,
they said nothing.
Eric came to the rocks, and there he sat all day long
looking on the sea, and grieving so bitterly that he thought
his heart would burst within him. For of all the days of
Eric's life this was the heaviest, except one other only.
But Swanhild, going to her bower, caused Koll the Half-
witted .to be summoned. To him she spoke long and
earnestly, and they made a shameful plot together. Then
she bade Koll watch for Atli's coming and, when he saw the
Earl leave his boats, to run to him and say that she would
speak with him.
After this Swanhild sent a man across the firth to the
stead where Hall of Lithdale sat, bidding him come to her
at speed.
When the afternoon grew towards the evening, Koll,
watching, saw the boats of Atli draw to the landing-place.
Then he went down, and, going to the Earl, bowed before him :
' What wouldst thou, fellow, and who art thou ? ' asked
Atli.
' I am a man from Iceland ; perchance, lord, thou sawest
me in Asmund's hall at Middalhof. I am sent here by the
Lady Swanhild to say that she desires speech with thee, and
that at once.' Then, seeing Skallagrim, Koll fled back to the
house, for he feared Skallagrim.
Now Atli was uneasy in his mind, and, saying nothing, he
hurried up to the hall, and through it into Swanhild's bower.
There she sat on a couch, her eyes red with weeping, and
her curling hair unbound.
' What now, Swanhild ? ' he asked. ' Why lookest thou
thus ? '
' Why look I thus, my lord ? ' she answered heavily.
' Because I 'have to tell thee that which I cannot find words
to fit,' and she ceased.
' Speak on,' he said. ' Is aught wrong with Eric ? '
Then Swanhild drew near and told him a false tale.
When it was done for a moment or so Atli stood still, and
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 195
grew white beneath his ruddy skin, white as his beard. Then
he staggered back against the wainscotting of the bower.
1 Woman, thou liest ! ' he said. ' Never will I believe so
vile a thing of Eric Brighteyes, whom I have loved.'
* Would that I could not believe it ! ' she answered. ' Would
that I could think it was but an evil dream ! But alas ! it is
no dream. That which I tell thee, this man has done.
Nay, I will prove it. Suffer that I summon Roll, the Ice-
lander, who was my mother's thrall— Groa who now is dead,
for I have that tidings also. He saw something of this thing,
and he will bear me witness.'
' Call the man,' said Atli sternly.
So Koll was summoned, and told his lies with a bold face.
He was so well taught, and so closely did his story tally with
that of Swanhild, that Atli could find no flaw in it.
' Now I am sure, Swanhild, that thou speakest truth,' said
the Earl when Koll had gone. ' And now also I have somo-
what to say to this Eric. For thee, rest thyself; that which
cannot be mended must be borne,' and he went out.
Now, when Skallagrim came to the house he asked, for
Eric. The women told him that Brighteyes had gone down to
the sea, fully armed, in the morning, and had not returned.
' Then there must be fighting toward, and that I am loth
to miss,' said Skallagrim, and, axe aloft, he started for the
south-western rocks at a run. Skallagrim came to the rocks.
There he found Eric, sitting in his harness, looking out across
(.ho sea. The evening was wet and windy ; the rain beat
upon him as he sat, but Eric took no heed.
' What seokost thou, lord ? ' asked the Baresark.
' I lest,' said Eric, * and I find none.'
' Thou seekost rest helm on head and sword in hand ?
This is a strange thing, truly ! '
' S tran gor things have been, Skallagrim. Wouldst thou
hear a tale ? ' and he told him all.
' What said I ? ' asked Skallagrim. ' We had fared better
in London town. Flying from the dove thou hast found the
falcon.'
o2
196 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
'I have found the falcon, comrade, and she has pecked
out my eyes. Now I would speak with Atli, and then I go
hence.'
'Hence go the twain of us, lord. The Earl will be here
presently and rough words will fly in this rough weather.
Is Whitefire sharp, Brighteyes ? '
' Whitefire was sharp enough to shear my hair, Skalla-
grim ; but if Atli would strike let him lay on. Whitefire
will not be aloft for him.'
1 That we shall see,' said Skallagrim. ' At least, if thou
art harmed because of this loose quean, my axe will be aloft.'
'Keep thou thine axe in its place,' said Eric, and as he
spoke Atli came, and with him many men.
Eric rose and turned to meet the Earl, looking on him
with sad eyes. For Atli, his face was as the face of a trapped
wolf, for he was mad with rage at the shame that had been
put upon him and the ill tale that Swanhild had told of Eric's
dealings with her.
'It seems that the Earl has heard of these tidings,' said
Skallagrim,
' Then I shall be spared the telling of them,' answered
Eric.
Now they stood face to face ; Atli leaned upon his drawn
sword, and his wrath was so fierce that for a while he could
not speak. At length he found words.
' See ye that man, comrades ? ' he said, pointing at Eric
with the sword. ' He has been my guest these many months.
He has sat in my hall and eaten of my bread, and I have
loved him as a son. And wot ye how he has repaid me ?
He has put me to the greatest shame, me and my wife the
Lady Swanhild, whom I left in his guard — to such shame,
indeed, that I cannot speak it.'
' True words, Earl,' said Eric, while folk murmured and
handled their swords.
' True, but not all the truth,' growled Skallagrim. ' Me-
thinks the Earl has heard a garbled tale.'
' True words, thyself thou sayest it,' went on Atli, ' thou
hound that I saved from the sea ! " Kan's gift, Hela's gift," so
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 197
runs the saw, and now from Ban to Hela shalt tliou go, thou
misliandler of defenceless women ! '
4 Here is somewhat of which I know nothing,' said
Eric.
4 And here is something of which thou shalt know,'
answered Atli, and he shook his sword before Eric's eyes.
' G uard thyself ! '
* Nay, Earl ; thou art old, and I have done the wrong — I
may not fight with thee.'
* Art thou a coward also ? ' said the Earl.
' Some have deemed otherwise,' said Eric, ' but it is true
that heavy heart makes weak hand. Nevertheless this is my
rede. With thee are ten men. Stand thou aside and let
them fall on me till I am slain.'
' The odds are too heavy even for thee,' said Skallagrim.
'Back to back, lord, as we have stood aforetime, and let
us play this game together.'
' Not so,' cried Atli, ' this shame is mine, and I have
sworn to Swanhild that I will wipe it out in Eric's blood.
Stand thou before me and draw ! '
Then Eric drew Whitefire and raised his shield. Atli the
Earl rushed at him and smote a great two-handed blow. Eric
caught it on his shield and suffered no harm ; but he would
not smite back.
Atli dropped his point. ' Niddering art thou, and coward
to the last ! ' he cried. * See, men, Eric Brighteyes fears to
fight. I am not come to this that I will cut down a man who
is too faint-hearted to give blow for blow. This is my word :
take ye your spear-shafts and push this coward to the shore.
Then put him in a boat and drive him hence.'
Now Eric grew red as the red light of sunset, for his man-
hood might not bear this.
' Take shield,' he said, ' and, Earl, on thine own head be
thy blood, for none shall live to call Eric Diddering and
coward.'
Atli laughed in his folly and his rage. He took a shield,
and, once more springing on Brighteyes, struck a great blow.
Eric parried, then whirled Whitefire on high and smote —
I98 ERIC BRJGHTEYES
once and once only ! Down rushed the bright blade like a
star through the night. Sword and shield did Atli lift to
catch the blow. Through shield it sheared, and arm that
held the shield, through byrnie mail and deep into Earl Atli's
side. He fell prone to earth, while men held their breath,
wondering at the greatness of that stroke.
But Eric leaned on Whitefire and looked at the old Earl
upon the rock.
* Now, Atli, thou hast had thy way,' he said, ' and
methinks things are worse than they were before. But I will
say this : would that I lay there and thou stoodest to watch
me die, for as lief would I have slain my father as thee, Earl
Atli. There lies Swanhild's work ! '
Atli gazed upwards into Eric's sad eyes and, while he
gazed so, his rage left him, and of a sudden a light brake
upon his mind, as even then the light of the setting sun brake
through the driving mist.
' Eric,' he said, * draw near and speak with me ere I am
sped. Methinks that I have been beguiled and that thou didst
not do this thing that Bwanhild said and Koll bore witness
to.'
1 What did Swanhild say, then, Earl Atli ? '
The Earl told him.
' It was to be looked for from her,' said Eric, ' though I
never thought of it. Now hearken ! ' and he told him all.
Atli groaned aloud. ' I know this now, Eric,' he said :
1 that thou speakest truth, and once more I have been de-
ceived. Eric, I forgive thee all, for no man may fight against
woman's witchcraft and witch's wine. Swanhild is evil to
the heart. Yet, Eric, I lay this doom upon thee — I do not
lay it of my own will, for I would not harm thee, whom I love,
but because of the words that the Norns put in my mouth,
for now I am fey in this the hour of my death. Thou hast
sinned, and that thou didst sin against thy will shall avail
thee nothing, for of thy sin fate shall fashion a handle to the
spear which pierces thee. Henceforth thou art accursed. For
I tell thee that this wicked woman Swanhild shall drag thee
down to death, and worse than death, and with thee those
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 199
thou lovest. By witchcraft she brought thee to Straumey,
by lies she laid me here before thee. Now by hate and
might and cruel deeds shall she bring thee to lie more low
than I do. For, Eric, thou art bound to her, and thou shalt
never loose the bond ! '
Atli eeased a while, then spoke again more faintly :
' Hearken, comrades,' he cried ; ' my strength is well-nigh
spent. Ye shall swear four things to me — that ye will give
Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail safe passage from
Straumey. That ye will tell Swanhild the Fatherless, Groa's
daughter and Atli's wife, that, at last, I know her for what
she is— a murderess, a harlot, a witch and a liar ; and that
I forgive Eric whom she tricked, but that her I hate and spit
upon. That ye will slay Roll the Half-witted, Groa's thrall,
who came hither two days gone, since by his lies he hath
set an edge upon this sword of falsehood. That ye will raise
no blood-feud against Eric for this my slaying, for I goaded
him to the deed. Do ye swear ? '
' We swear,' said the men.
' Then, farewell ! And to thee farewell, also, Eric Bright -
eyes ! Now take my hand and hold it while I die. Behold ! I
give thee a new name, and by that name thou shalt be called
in story. I name thee Eric the Unlucky. Of all tales that
are told, thine shall be the greatest. A mighty stroke that
was of thine — a mighty stroke ! Farewell ! '
Then his head fell back upon the rock and Earl Atli died.
And as he died the last rays of light went out of the sky.
200
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER XXI
HOW HALL OP LITHDALE TOOK TIDINGS TO ICELAND
OW on the same
night that Atli
died at the hand
of Eric, Swan-
hild spake with
Hall of Lith-
dale, whom she
had summoned
from the main-
land. She bade
him do this :
take passage in
a certain ship
that should sail
for Iceland on
the morrow
from the island
that is called
Westra, and
there tell all
these tidings of
the ill-doings
of Eric and of
the slaying of Atli by his hand.
' Thou shalt say this,' she
went on, ' that Eric had been
my love for long, but that at
length the matter came to the
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 201
ears of Atli, the Earl. Then, holding this the greatest shame,
ha went on holmgang with Eric and was slain by him. This
shalt thou add to thy tale also, that presently Eric and I will
wed, and that Eric shall rule as Earl in Orkneys. Now these
tidings must soon come to the ears of Gudruda the Fair, and
she will send for thee, and question thee straightly concern-
ing them, and thou shalt tell her the tale as thou toldest it
at first. Then thou shalt give Gudruda this packet, which I
send her as a gift, saying, that I bade her remember a certain
oath which Eric took as to the cutting of his hair. And when
she sees that which is within the packet is somewhat stained,
tell her that it is but the blood of Atli that is upon it, as his
blood is upon Eric's hands. Now remember thou this, Hall,
that if thou fail in the errand thy life shall pay forfeit, for
presently I will also come to Iceland and hear how thou hast
sped.'
Then Swanhild gave him faring-money and gifts of wadmal
and gold rings, promising that he should have so much again
when she came to Iceland.
Hall said that he would do all these things, and went at
once ; nor did he fail in his tasks.
11.1
Atli being dead, Eric loosed his hand and called to the
men to take up his body and bear it to the hall. This they did.
Eric stood and watched them till they were lost in the darkness.
' Whither now, lord ? ' said Skallagrim.
* It matters little,' said Eric. * What is thy counsel ? '
' This is my counsel. That we take ship and sail back to
e King in London. There we will tell all this tale. It is
a far cry from Straumey to London town, and there we shall
sit in peace, for the King will think little of the slaying of an
rlmey Earl in a brawl about a woman. Mayhap, too, the
y Elfrida will not set great store by it. Therefore, I say,
t us fare back to London.'
' In but one place am I at home, and that is Iceland,'
d Eric. * Thither I will go, Skallagrim, though it be but to
iss friend from stead and bride from bed. At the least I
all find Ospakar there.'
202 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 Listen, lord ! ' said Skallagrim. ' Was it not my rede
that we should bide this winter through in London ? Thou
wouldest none of it, and what came about? Our ship is
sunk, gone are our comrades, thine honour is tarnished, and
dead is thy host at thine own hand. Yet I say all is not lost.
Let us hence south, and see no more of Swanhild, of Gudruda,
of Bjorn and Ospakar. So shall we break the spell. But if
thou goest to Iceland, I am sure of this : that the evil fate
which Atli foretold will fall on thee, and the days to come shall
be even more unlucky than the days that have been.'
' It may be so,' said Eric. ' Methinks, indeed, it will be
so. Henceforth I am Eric the Unlucky. Yet I will go back to
Iceland and there play out the game. I care little if I live
or am slain — I have no more joy in my life. I stand alone,
like a fir upon a mountain -top, and every wind from heaven
and every storm of hail and snow beats upon my head. But
I say to thee, Skallagrim : go thy road, and leave a luckless
man to his ill fate. Otherwise it shall be thine also. Good
friend hast thou been to me ; now let us part and wend south
and north. The King will be glad to greet thee yonder in
London, Lambstail.'
' But one severing shall we know, lord,' said Skallagrim,
' and that shall be sword's work, nor will it be for long. It
is ill to speak such words as these of the parting of lord and
thrall. Bethink thee of the oath I swore on Mosfell. Let us
go north, since it is thy will : in fifty years it will count for
little which way we wended from the Isles.'
So they went together down to the shore, and, finding a
boat and men who as yet knew nothing of what had chanced
to Atli, they sailed across the firth at the rising of the moon.
Two days afterwards they found a ship at Wick that was
bound for Fareys, and sailed in her, Eric buying a passage
with the half of a gold ring that the King had given him in
London.
Here at Fareys they sat a month or more ; but not in the
Earl's hall as when Eric came with honour in the Gudruda,
but in a farmer's stead. For the tale of Eric's dealings with
Atli and Atli's wife had reached Fareys, and the Earl there
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 203
had been a friend of Atli's. Moreover, Eric was now a poor
man, having neither ship nor goods, nor friends. There-
fore all looked coldly on him, though they wondered at his
beauty and his might. Still, they dared not to speak ill or
make a mock of him ; for, two men having done so, were
nearly slain of Skallagrim, who seized the twain by the
throat, one in either hand, and dashed their heads together.
After that men said little.
They sat there a month, till at length a chapman put in
at Fareys, bound for Iceland, and they took passage with
him, Eric paying the other half of his gold ring for ship-room.
The chapman was not willing to give them place at first, for
he, too, had heard the tale ; but Skallagrim offered him choice,
either to do so or to go on holmgang with him. Then the
chapman gave them passage.
Now it is told that when his thralls and house- carles bore
the corpse of Atli the Earl to his hall in Strauiney, Swanhild
met it and wept over it. And when the spokesman among
them stood forward and told her those words that Atli
had bidden them to say to her, sparing none, she spoke
thus :
' My lord was distraught and weak with loss of blood
when he spoke thus. The tale I told him was true, and now
Eric has added to his sin by shedding the blood of him whom
he wronged so sorely.'
And thereafter she spoke so sweetly and with so much
gentleness, craft, and wisdom that, though they still doubted
them, all men held her words weighty. For Swanhild had
this art, that she could make the false sound true in the ears
of men and the true sound false.
Still, being mindful of their oath, they hunted for Koll
and found him. And when the thrall knew that they would
slay him he ran thence screaming. Nor did Swanhild lift a
hand to save his life, for she desired that Koll should die,
lest he should bear witness against her. Away he ran towards
the cliffs, and after him sped Atli's house-carles, till he finnc
to the great cliffs that edge in the sea. Now they were close
204 ERIC &RIGHTEYES
upon him and their swords were aloft. Then, sooner than
know the kiss of steel, the liar leapt from the cliffs and was
crushed, dying miserably on the rocks below. This was the
end of Koll the Half-witted, Groa's thrall.
Swanhild sat in Straumey for a while, and took all Atli's
heritage into her keeping, for he had no male kin ; nor did any
say her nay. Also she called in the moneys that he had
out at interest, and that was a great sum, for Atli was a
careful and a wealthy man. Then Swanhild made ready to
go to Iceland. Atli had a great dragon of war, and she
manned that ship and filled it with stores and all things needful.
This done, she set stewards and grieves over the Orkney lands
and farms, and, when the Earl was six weeks dead, she
sailed for Iceland, giving out that she went thither to set a
blood-suit on foot against Eric for the death of Atli, her lord.
There she came in safety just as folk rode to the Thing.
Now Hall of Lithdale came to Iceland and told his tale of
the doings of Eric and the death of Atli. Oft and loud he
told it, and soon people gossiped of it in field and fair and
stead. Bjorn, Asmund's son, heard this talk and sent for
Hall. To him also Hall told the tale.
' Now,' said Bjorn, ' we will go to my sister Gudruda the
Fair, and learn how she takes these tidings.'
So they went in to where Gudruda sat spinning in the
hall, singing as she span.
' Greeting, Gudruda,' said Bjorn ; ' say, hast thou tidings
of Eric Brighteyes, thy betrothed ? '
' I have no tidings,' said Gudruda.
' Then here is one who brings them.'
Now for the first time Gudruda the Fair saw Hall of
Lithdale. Up she sprang. ' Thou hast tidings of Eric, Hall ?
Ah ! thou art welcome, for no tidings have come of him
for many a month. Speak on,' and she pressed her hand
against her heart and leaned towards him.
' My tidings are ill, lady.'
' Is Eric dead ? Say not my love is dead ! '
' He is worse than dead,' said Hall. ' He is shamed.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 205
' There thou liest, Hall,' she answered. ' Shame and
Eric are things apart.'
' Mayst thou think so when thou hast heard my tale,
lady,' said Hall, ' for I am sad at heart to speak it of one who
was my mate.'
' Speak on, I say,' answered Gudruda, in such a voice
that Hall shrank from her. ' Speak on ; but of this I warn
thee : that if in one word thou liest, that shall be thy death
when Eric comes.'
Now Hall was afraid, thinking of the axe of Skallagrim.
Still, he might not go back upon his word. So he began at
the beginning, telling the story of how he was wounded in the
fight with Ospakar's ships and left at Farey isles, and how he
came thence to Scotland and sat in Atli's hall on Orkneys.
Then he told how the Gudruda was wrecked on Straumey,
and, of all aboard, Eric and Skallagrim alone were saved be-
cause of Swanhild's dream.
* Herein I see witch-work,' said Gudruda.
Then Hall told that Eric became Swanhild's love, but of
the other tale which Swanhild had whispered to Atli he said
nothing. For he knew that Gudruda would not believe this,
and, moreover, if it were so, Swanhild had not sent the token
which he should give.
' It well may be,' said Gudruda, proudly ; ' Swanhild is
fair and light of mind. Perchance she led Brighteyes into
this snare.' But, though she spoke thus, bitter jealousy and
anger burned in her breast and she remembered the sight
which she had seen when Eric and Swanhild met on the
morn of Atli's wedding.
Then Hall told of the slaying of Atli the Good by Eric,
but he said nothing of the Earl's dying words, nor of how he
goaded Brighteyes with his bitter words.
1 It was an ill deed in sooth,' said Gudruda, * for Eric to
slay an old man whom he had wronged. Still, it may chance
that he was driven to it for his own life's sake.'
Then Hall said that he had seen Swanhild after Atli's
slaying, and that she had told him that she and Eric should
wed shortly, and that Eric would rule in Orkneys by her side.
206 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Gudruda asked if that was all his tale.
'Yes, lady,' answered Hall, 'that is all my tale, for
after that I sailed and know not what happened. But I
am charged to give something to thee, and that by the Lady
Swanhild. She bade me say this also : that, when thou
lookest on the gift, thou shouldst think on a certain oath which
Eric took as to the cutting of his hair.' And he drew a
linen packet from his breast and gave it to her.
Thrice Gudruda looked on it, fearing to open it. Then,
seeing the smile of mockery on Bjorn's cold face, she took the
shears that hung at her side and cut the thread with them.
And as she cut, a lock of golden hair rose from the packet,
untwisting itself like a living snake. The lock was long, and
its end was caked with gore.
'Whose hair is this?' said Gudruda, though she knew
the hair well.
' Eric's hair,' said Hall, ' that Swanhild cut from his head
with Eric's sword.'
Now Gudruda put her hand to her bosom. She drew out
a satchel, and from the satchel a lock of yellow hair. Side
by side she placed the locks, looking first at one and then
at the other.
' This is Eric's hair in sooth,' she said — ' Eric's hair that
he swore none but I should cut ! Eric's hair that Swanhild
shore with Whitefire from Eric's head — Whitefire whereon
we plighted troth ! Say now, whose blood is this that stains
the hair of Eric ? '
' It is Atli's blood, whom Eric first dishonoured and then
slew with his own hand,' answered Hall.
Now there burned a fire on the hearth, for the day was
cold. Gudruda the Fair stood over the fire and with either
hand she let the two locks of Eric's hair fall upon the
embers. Slowly they twisted Tip and burned. She watched
them burn, then she threw up her hands and with a great
cry fled from the hall.
Bjorn and Hall of Lithdale looked on eadh other.
' Thou hadst best go hence ! ' said Bjorn ; ' and of this I
warn thee, Hall, though I hold thy tidings good, that, if thou
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 207
hast spoken one false word, that will be thy death. For then
it would be better for thee to face all the wolves in Iceland
than to stand before Eric in his rage.7
Again Hall bethought him of the axe of Skallagrim, and
he went out heavily.
That day a messenger came from Gudruda to Bjorn,
saying that she would speak with him. He went to where
she sat alone upon her bed. Her face was white as death,
and her dark eyes glowed.
' Eric has dealt badly with thee, sister, to bring thee to this
sorrow,' said Bjorn.
' Speak no ill of Eric to me,' Gudruda answered. ' The
evil that he has done will be paid back to him ; there is little
need for thee to heap words upon his head. Hearken, Bjorn
my brother : is it yet thy will that I should wed Ospakar
Blacktooth ? '
1 That is my will, surely. There is no such match in
Iceland as this Ospakar, and I should win many friends
by it.'
1 Do this then, Bjorn. Send messengers to Swinefell and
say to Ospakar that if he would still wed Gudruda the Fair,
Asmund's daughter, let him come to Middalhof when folk
ride from the Thing and he shall not go hence alone. Nay,
I have done. Now, I pray thee speak no more to me of
Eric or of Ospakar. Of the one I have seen and heard
enough, and of the other I shall hear and see enough in the
years that are to come.
208 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER XXII
HOW EEIC CAME HOME AGAIN
WANHILD made a good
passage from the Ork-
neys, and was in Iceland
thirty-five days before
Eric and Skallagrim set
foot there. But she did
not land by Westman
Isles, for she had no wish
to face Gudruda at that time, but by Reyjaness. Now she
rode thence with her company to Tliingvalla, for here all men
were gathered for the Thing. At first people hung aloof
from her, notwithstanding her wealth and beauty ; but Swan-
hild knew well how to win the hearts of men. For now she
told the same story of Eric that she had told to Atli, and
there were none to say her nay. So it came to pass that she
was believed, and Eric Brighteyes held to be shamed indeed.
Now, too, she set a suit on foot against Eric for the death of
Atli at his hand, claiming that sentence of the greater
outlawry should be passed against him, and that his lands at
Coldback in the Marsh on Ran River should be given, half
to her in atonement for the Earl's death, and half to the men
of Eric's quarter.
On the day of the opening of the Thing Ospakar Black-
tooth came from the north, and with him his son Gi^ui: and
a great company of men. Ospakar was blithe, for from the
Thing he should ride to Middalhof, there to wed Gudruda the
Fair. Then Swanhild clad herself in beautiful attire, and,
taking men with her, went to the booth of Ospakar,
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 209
Blacktooth sat in his booth and by him sat Gizur his son
the Lawman. When he saw a beauteous lady, very richly clad,
enter the booth he did not know who it might be. But Gizur
knew her well, for he could never put Swanhild from his mind.
* Lo ! here comes Swanhild the Fatherless, Atli's widow,'
said Gizur, flushing red with joy at the sight of her.
Then Ospakar greeted her heartily, and made place for her
by him at the top of the booth.
' Ospakar Blacktooth,' she said, ' I am come to ask this of
thee : that thou shalt befriend me in the suit which I have
against Eric Brighteyes for the slaying of Earl Atli, my
husband.'
' Thou couldst have come to no man who is more willing,'
said Ospakar, ' for, if thou hast something against Eric, I have
yet more.'
' I would ask this, too, Ospakar : that thy son Gizur should
take up my suit and plead it ; for I know well that he is the
most skilful of all lawmen.'
* I will do that,' said Gizur, his eyes yet fixed upon her face.
' I looked for no less from thee,' said Swanhild, ' and be
sure, of this, that thou shalt not plead for nothing,1 and she
glanced at him meaningly. Then she set out her case with
a lying tongue, and afterwards went back to her booth, glad at
heart. For now she learned that Hall had not failed in his
errand, seeing that Gudruda was about to wed Ospakar.
Gi/Air gave warning of the blood- suit, and the end of it
•was that, though he had 110 notice and was not there to answer
to the charge, against all right and custom Eric was declared
outlaw and his lands were given, half to Swanhild and half to
the men of his quarter. For now all held that Swanhild 's
was a true tale, and Eric the most shameful of men, and
therefore they were willing to stretch the law against him.
Also, being absent, he had few friends, and those men of small
account ; whereas Ospakar, who backed Swanhild' s suit, was
the most powerful of the northern chiefs, as Gizur was the
most skilled lawman in Iceland. Moreover, Bjorn the Priest,
Asmund's son, was among the judges, and, though Swan-
hild's tale seemed strange to him after that which he had heard
210 ^'A'/C1 BRIGHTEYES
from Hall of Lithdale, he loved Eric little. He feared also
that if Eric came a free man to Iceland before Gudruda was
wed to Ospakar, her love would conquer her anger, for he
could see well that she still loved Brighteyes. Therefore he
strove with might and main that Eric should be brought in
guilty, nor did he fail in this.
So the end of it was that Eric Brighteyes was outlawed,
his lands declared forfeit, and his head a wolf's head, to be
taken by him who might, should he set foot in Iceland.
Thereafter, the Althing being ended, Bjorn, Gizur, and
Ospakar, with all their company, rode away to Middalhof
to sit at the marriage- feast. But Swanhild and her folk went
by sea in the long war-ship to Westmans. For this was her
plan : to seize on Coldback and to sit there for a while, till she
saw if Eric came ouk to Iceland. Also she desired to see the
wedding of Ospakar and Gudruda, for she had been bidden to
it by Bjorn, her half-brother.
Now Ospakar came to Middalhof, and found Gudruda
waiting his coming.
She stood in the great hall, pale and cold as April snow,
and greeted him courteously. But when he would have
kissed her, she shrank from him, for now he was more hideous
in her sight than he had ever been, and she loathed him in
her heart.
That night there was feasting in the hall, and at the feast
Gudruda heard that Eric had been made outlaw. Then she
spoke :
' This is an ill deed, thus to judge an absent man.'
1 Say, Gudruda,' said Bjorn in her ear, ' hast thou not
also judged Eric who is absent ? '
She turned her head and spoke no more of Eric ; but
Bjorn's words fixed themselves in her heart like arrows.
The tale was strange to her, for it seemed that Eric had been
made outlaw at Swanhild's suit, and yet Eric was Swanhild's
love : for Swanhild's self had sent the lock of Brighteyes' hair
by Hall, saying that he was her love and soon would wed her.
How, then, did Swanhild bring a suit against him who should
be her husband ? Moreover, she, heard that Swanhild sailed
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 211
down to Coldback, and was bidden to the marriage -feast, that
should be on the third day from now. Could it be, then, when
all was said and done, that Eric was less faithless than she
deemed ? Gudruda's heart stood still and the blood rushed to
her brow when she thought on it. Also, even if it were so, it
was now too late. And surely it was not so, for had not Eric
been made outlaw ? Men were not made outlaw for a little
thing. Nay, she would meet her fate, and ask no more of
Eric and his doings.
On the morrow, as Gudruda sat in her chamber, it was
told her that Saevuna, Thorgrimur's widow and Eric's mother,
had come from Coldback to speak with her. For, after the
death of Asmund and of Unna, Saevuna had moved back to
Coldback in the Marsh.
' Nay, how can this be ? ' said Gudruda astonished, for she
knew well that Saevuna was now both blind and bed-ridden.
' She has been borne here in a chair,' said the woman
who told her, ' and that is a strange sight to see,'
At first Gudruda was minded to say her nay ; but her heart
softened, and she bade them bring Saevuna in. Presently she
came, being set in a chair upon the shoulders of four men.
She was white to see, for sickness had aged her much, arid
she stared about her with sightless eyes. But she was still
tall and straight, and her face was stern to look on. To
Gudruda it seemed like that of Eric when he was angered.
' Am I nigh to Gudruda the Fair, Asmund's daughter ? '
asked Saevuna. ' Methinks I hear her breathe.'
'I am here, mother,' said Gudruda. 'What is thy will
with me ? '
* Set down, carles, and begone ! ' quoth Saevuna ; ' that
which I have to say I would say alone. When I summon
you, come.'
The carles set down the chair upon the floor and went.
' Gudruda,' said the dame, ' I am risen from my death-
bed, and I have caused myself to be borne on my last
journey here across the meads, that I may speak with tlicc :md
warn thee. I hear that thou hast put away my son, Kric
Brighteyes, to whom thou art sworn in marriage, and art
p 2
212 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
about to give thyself to Ospakar Blacktooth. I hear also that
thou hast done this deed because a certain man, Hall of
Lithdale — whom from his youth up I have known for a liar
and a knave, and whom thou thyself didst mistrust in years
gone by — has come hither to Iceland from Orkneys, bearing
a tale of Eric's dealings with thy half-sister Bwanhild. This
I hear, further : that Swanhild, Atli's widow, hath come out
to Iceland and laid a suit against Eric for the slaying of Atli
the Earl, her husband, and that Eric has been outlawed and
his lands at Coldback are forfeit. Tell me now, Gudruda,
Asmund's daughter, if these tales be true ? '
' The tales are true, mother,' said Gudruda.
' Then hearken to me, girl. Eric sprang from my womb,
who of all living men is the best and first, as he is the bravest
and most strong. I have reared this Eric from a babe and
I know his heart well. Now I tell thee this, that, whatever
Eric has done or left undone, naught of dishonour is on his
hands. Mayhap Swanhild hath deceived him— thou art a
woman, and thou knowest well the arts which women have,
and the strength that Freya gives them. Well thou knowest,
also, of what breed this Swanhild came ; and perchance thou
canst remember how she dealt with thee, and with what mind
she looked on Eric. Perchance thou canst remember how
she plotted against thee and Eric — ay, how she thrust thee
from Goldfoss brink. Say, then, wilt thou take her word ?
Wilt thou take the word of this witch-daughter of a witch ?
Wilt thou not think on Groa, her mother, and of Groa's deal-
ings with thy father, and with Unna my kinswoman ? As the
mother is, so shall the daughter be. Wilt thou cast Eric aside,
and that unheard ? '
1 There is no more room for doubt, mother,' said Gudruda.
* I have proof of this : that Eric has forsaken me.'
' So thou thinkest, child ; but I tell thee that thou art
wrong ! Eric loves thee now as he loved thee aforetime, raid
will love thee always.'
* Would that I could believe it ! ' said Gudruda. ' If I could
believe that Eric still loved me — ay, even though he had been
faithless to me— I would die ere I wed Ospakar ! '
ERIC BRIGHTEYEx 213
' Thou art foolish, Gudruda, and thou shalt rue thy folly
bitterly. I am outworn, and death draws near to me — far from
me now are hates and loves, hopes and fears ; but 1 know
this : that woman is mad who, loving a man, weds where she
loves not. Shame shall be her portion and bitterness her
bread. Unhappy shall she live, and when she comes to die,
but as a wilderness -but as the desolate winter snow, shall
be the record of her days ! '
Now Gudruda wept aloud. ' What is done is done,' she
cried : ' the bridegroom sits within the hall — the bride awaits
him in the bower. What is done is done— I may hope no
more to be saved from Ospakar.'
' What is done is done, yet it can be brought to nothing ;
but soon that shall be done which may never be undone !
Gudruda, fare thee well ! Never shall I listen to thy voice again .
I hold thee shameless, thou unfaithful woman, who in thy
foolish jealousy art ready to sell thyself to the arms of one
thou hatest ! Ho ! carles ; come hither. Bear me hence ! '
Now the men came in and took up Saevuna's chair.
Gudruda watched them bear her forth. Then suddenly she
sprang from her seat and ran after her into the hall, weeping
bitterly.
Now as Saevuna, Eric's mother, was carried out she was
met by Ospakar and Bjorn.
' Stay,' said Bjorn. * What does this carline here ?— and
why weeps Gudruda, my sister ? '
The men halted. ' Who calls me " carline " ? ' said Saevuna.
' Is the voice I hear the voice of Bjorn. Asmund's son ? '
' It is my voice, truly,' said Bjorn, ' and I would know this
— and this would Ospakar, who stands at my side, know also
— why thou comest here, carline ? and why Gudruda weeps ? '
' Gudruda weeps because she has good cause to weep,
Bjorn. She weeps because she has betrayed her love, Kric
Brighteyes, my son, and is about to be sold in marriage to
be sold to thee, Ospakar Blacktooth, like a heifer at a
fair.'
Then Bjorn grew angry and cursed Saovuna, nor did
Ospakar spare to add to his ill words. But the old dame sat
214 " ERIC BRIGHTEYES
in her chair, listening silently till all their curses were
spent.
4 Ye are evil, the twain of you,' she said, ' and ye have told
lies of Eric, my son ; and ye have taken his bride for lust and
greed, playing on the jealous folly of a maid like harpers on a
harp. Now I tell you this, Bjorn and Ospakar! My blind
eyes are opened and I see this hall of Middalhof, and lo ! it is
but a gore of blood ! Blood flows upon the board — blood
streams along the floor, and ye — ye twain ! — lie dead thereon,
and about your shapes are shrouds, and on your feet are Hell-
shoon ! Eric comes and Whitefire is aloft, and no more shall
ye stand before him whom ye have slandered than stands
the birch before the lightning stroke ! Eric comes ! I see
his angry eyes — I see his helm flash in the door-place ! Red
was that marriage-feast at which sat Unna, my kinswoman,
and Asmund, thy father — redder shall be the feast where sit
Gudruda, thy sister, and Ospakar ! The wolf howls at thy
door, Bjorn ! the grave-worm opens his mouth ! trolls run to
and fro upon thy threshold, and the ghosts of men speed
Hellwards ! Ill were the deeds of Groa — worse shall be the
deeds of Groa's daughter ! Red is thy hall with blood, Bjorn !
— for Whitefire is aloft and — I tell thee Eric comes ! ' — and
with one great cry she fell back — dead.
Now they stood amazed, and trembling in their fear.
* Saevuna hath spoken strange words,' said Bjorn.
' Shall we be frightened by a dead hag ? ' quoth Ospakar,
drawing his breath again. ' Fellows, bear this carrion forth,
or we fling it to the dogs.'
Then the men tied the body of Saevuna, Thorgrimur's
widow, Eric's mother, fast in the chair and bore it thence.
But when at length they came to Coldback, they found that
Swanhild was there with all her following, and had driven
Eric's grieve and his folk to the fells. But one old carline,
who had been nurse to Eric, was left there, and she sat
wailing in an outhouse, being too weak to move.
Then the men set down the corpse of Saevuna in the
outhouse, and, having told all their tale to the carline, they
fled also.
ERIC B RIGHTS YES 215
That night passed, and passed the morrow ; but on the
next day at dawn Eric Brighteyes and Skallagriin Lambstail
landed near Westman Isles. They had made a bad passage
from Fareys, having been beat about by contrary winds ; but
at length they came safe and well to land.
Now this was the day of the marriage-feast of Gudruda
the Fair and Ospakar ; but Eric knew nothing of these tidings.
' Where to now, lord ? ' said Skallagrim.
' To Coldback first, to see my mother, if she yet lives, and
to learn tidings of Gudruda. Then as it may chance.'
Near to the beach was a yeoman's house. Thither they
went to hire horses ;' but none were in the house, for all
had gone to Gudruda 's marriage-feast. In the home meadow
ran two good horses, and in the outhouses were saddles and
bridles. They caught the horses, saddled them and rode for
Coldback. When they had ridden for something over an hour
they came to the crest of a height whence they could see
Coldback in the Marsh.
Eric drew rein and looked, and his heart swelled within
him at the sight of the place where he was born. But as
he looked he saw a great train of people ride away from
Coldback towards Middalhof — and in the company a woman
wearing a purple cloak.
' Now what may this mean ? ' said Eric.
' Ride on and we shall learn,' answered Skallagrim.
So they rode on, and as they rode Eric's breast grew
heavy with fear. Now they passed up the banked way
through the home meadows of the house, but they could see no
one ; and now they were at the door. Down sprang Eric and
walked into the hall. But none were there to greet him,
though a fire yet burned upon the hearth. Only a gaunt hound
wandered about the hall, and, seeing him, sprang towards him,
growling. Eric knew him for his old wolf-hound, and called
him by his name. The dog listened, then ran up and suit1]),
his hands, and straightway howled with joy and leapt upon
him. For a while he leapt thus, while Eric stared around
him wondering and sad at heart. Then the dog ran to the
door and stopped, whining. Eric followed after him. The
2i6 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
hound passed through the entrance, and across the yard till he
came to an outhouse. Here the dog stopped and scratched at
the door, still whining. Eric thrust it open. Lo ! there before
him sat Saevuna, his mother, dead in a chair, and at her feet
crouched the carline — she who had been Eric's nurse.
Now he grasped the door-posts to steady himself, and his
shadow fell upon the white face of his mother and the old
carline at her feet.
.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
217
CHAPTEE XXIII
HOW EEIC WAS A GUEST AT THE WEDDING -FEAST OF
GUDKUDA THE FA IK
KIC looked, but said nothing.
' Who art thou ? ' whined the
carline, gazing up at him .with
tear-blinded eyes. But Eric's
face was in the shadow, and she
only saw the glint of his golden
hair and the flash of the golden
helm. For Eric could not speak
yet a while.
' Art thou one of Swanliild's
folk, come to drive me hence
with the rest? Good sir, I
cannot go to the fells, my limbs
are too weak. Slay me, if thou
wilt, but drive me not from this,'
and she pointed to the corpse.
' Say now, wilt thou not help me to give it burial ? It is
unmeet that she who in her time had husband, and goods,
and son, should lie unburied like a dead cow on the fells. I
have still a hundred in silver, if I might but come at it. It
is hidden, sir, and I will pay thee if thou wilt help me to bury
her. These old hands are too feeble to dig a grave, nor could
I bear her there alone if it were dug. Thou wilt not help
me? — then may thine own mother's bones lie uncovered, and
be picked of gulls and ravens. Oh, that Eric Brighteyes
would come home again ! Oh, that Eric was here ! There is
work to do and never a man to do it.'
\
2i8 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Now Eric gave a great sob and cried, ' Nurse, nurse !
knowest thou me not ? I am Eric Brighteyes.'
She uttered a loud cry, and, clasping him by the knees,
looked up into his face.
'Thanks be to Odin! Thou art Eric — Eric come home
again ! But alas, thou hast come too late ! '
' What has happened, then ? ' said Eric.
' What has happened ? All evil things. Thou art outlawed,
Eric, at the suit of Swanhild for the slaying of Atli the Ea.rl.
Swanhild sits here in Coldback, for she hath seized thy lands.
Saevuna, thy mother, died two days ago in the hall of
Middalhof, whither she went to speak with Gudruda.'
' Gudruda ! what of Gudruda ? ' cried Eric.
' This, Brighteyes : to-day she weds Ospakar Black-
tooth.'
Eric covered his face with his hand. Presently he lifted it.
1 Thou art rich in evil tidings, nurse, though, it would seem,
poor in all besides. Tell me at what hour is the wedding-
feast ? '
' An hour after noon, Eric ; but now Swanhild has ridden
thither with her company.'
' Then room must be found at Middalhof for one more guest,'
said Eric, and laughed aloud. ' Go on ! — pour out thy evil news
and spare me not ! — for nothing has any more power to harm
me now ! Come hither, Skallagrim, and see and hearken.'
Skallagrim came and looked on the face of dead Saevuna.
' I am outlawed at Swanhild's suit, Lambstail. My life lies
in thy hand, if so be thou wouldst take it ! Hew off my head, if
thou wilt, and bear it to Gudruda the Fair — she will thank thee
for the gift. Lay on, Lambstail ; lay on with that axe of thine.'
4 Child's talk ! ' said Skallagrim.
' Child's talk, but man's work ! Thou hast not heard the
tale out. Swanhild hath seized my lands and sits here at Cold-
back ! And — what thinkest thou, Skallagrim ?— but now she
has ridden a-guesting to the marriage-feast of Ospakar
Blacktooth with Gudruda the Fair ! Swanhild at Gudruda' s
wedding! — the eagle in the wild swan's nest ! But there will
be another guest,' and again he laughed aloud.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 219
1 Two other guests,' said Skallagrim.
' More of thy tale, old nurse ! — more of thy tale ! ' quoth
Eric. ' No better didst thou ever tell me when, as a lad, I
sat by thee, in the ingle o' winter nights — and the company is
fitting to the tale ! ' and he pointed to dead Saevuna.
Then the carline told on. She told how Hall of Lithdale
had come out to Iceland, and of the story that he bore to
Gudruda, and of the giving of the lock of hair.
' What did I say, lord ? ' broke in Skallagrim — ' that in
Hall thou hadst let a weasel go who would live to nip thee ? '
' Him I will surely live to shorten by a head,' quoth Eric.
1 Nay, lord, this one for me — Ospakar for thee, Hall for
me ! '
'As thou wilt, Baresark. Among so many there is room
to pick and choose. Tell on, nurse ! '
Then she told how Swanhild came out to Iceland, and,
having won Ospakar Blacktooth and Gizur to her side, had laid
a suit against Eric at the Thing, and there bore false witness
against him, so that Brighteyes was declared outlaw, being
absent. She told, too, how Gudruda had betrothed herself to
Ospakar, and how Swanhild had moved down to Coldback
and seized the lands. Lastly she told of the rising of Saevuna
from her deathbed, of her going to Middalhof, of the words
she spoke to Bjorn and Ospakar, and of her death in the hall
at Middalhof.
When all was told, Eric stooped and kissed the cold brow
of his mother.
' There is little time to bury thee now, my mother,' he
said, ' and perchance before six hours are sped there will be
one to bury at thy side. Nevertheless, thou shalt sit in a
better place than this.'
Then he cut loose the cords that bound the body of
Saevuna to the chair, and, lifting it in his arms, bore it to
the hall. There he set the corpse in the high seat of the hall.
'We need not start yet a while, Skallagrim,' said Eric, ' if
indeed thou wouldst go a-guesting with me to Middalhof.
Therefore let us eat and drink, for there are deeds to do this
day.'
220
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
So they found meat and mead and ate and drank. Then
Eric washed himself, combed out his golden locks, and looked
well to his harness and to Whitefire's edge. Skallagrim also
ground his great axe upon the whetstone in tlio yard, singing
as he ground. When all was ready, the horses were caught,
and Eric spoke to the carline :
' Hearken, nurse. If it may be that thou canst, find any
of our folk — and perchance now that they see that SwanhiU
has ridden to Middalhof some one of them will come down
to spy — thou shalt say this to
them. Thou shalt say that, if
Eric Brighteyes yet lives, he
will be at the foot of Mosfell
to-morrow before midday, and
if, for the sake of old days and
fellowship, they are minded to
befriend a friendless man, let
them come thither with food,
for by then food will be needed,
and I will speak with them.
And now farewell,' and Eric
kissed her and went, leaving
her weeping.
As it chanced, before an-
other hour was sped, Jon, Eric's
thrall, who had stayed at home
in Iceland, seeing Coldback
empty, crept down from the
fells and looked in. The carline saw him, and told him
these tidings. Then he went thence to find the other men.
Having found them he told them Eric's words, and a great
gladness came upon them when they learned that Brighteyes
still lived and was in Iceland. Then they gathered food and
gear, and rode away to the foot of Mosfell that is now called
Ericsfell.
onorxn ms AXE.
Ospakar sat in the hall at Middalhof, near to the high seat.
He was fully armed, and a black helm with a raven's crest
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 221
was on his head. For, though he said nothing of it, not a little
did he fear that Saevuna spoke sooth — that her words would
come true, and, before this day was done, he and Eric should
once more stand face to face. At Ins side sat Gudruda the
Fair, robed in white, a worked headdress on her head, golden
clasps upon her breast and golden rings about her arms.
Never had she been more beautiful to see ; but her face was
whiter than her robes. She looked with loathing on Black-
tooth at her side, rough like a bear, and hideous as a troll.
But he looked on her with longing, and laughed from side to
side of his great mouth when he thought that at last he had
got her for his own.
* Ah, if Eric would but come, faithless though he be !— if
Eric would but come ! ' thought Gudruda ; but no Eric camo
to save her. The guests gathered fast, and presently Swanhild
swept in with all her company, wrapped about in her purple
cloak. She came up to the high seat where Gudruda sat, and
bent the knee before her, looking on her with lovely mocking
face and hate in her blue eyes.
' Greeting, Gudruda, my sister ! ' she said. ' When last we
met I sat, Atli's bride, where to-day thou sittest the bride of
Ospakar. Then Eric Brighteyes held thy hand, and little
thou didst think of wedding Ospakar. Now Eric is afar— so
strangely do things come about — and Blacktooth, Brighteyes'
foe, holds that fair hand of thine.'
Gudruda looked on her and turned whiter yet in her pain,
.t she answered never a word.
What ! no word for me, sister ? ' said Swanhild. ' And
yet it is through me that thou comest to this glad hour. It is
through me that thou art rid of Eric, and it is I who have
given thee to the arms of mighty Ospakar. No word of
thanks for so great a service ! — fie on thee, Gudruda ! lie ! '
Then Gudruda spoke : ' Strange tales are told of thuo
and Eric, Groa's daughter! I have done with Eric, but I
have done with thee also. Thou hast thrust thyself here
against my will, and, if I may, I would see thy face no moiv.'
»' Wouldst thou see Eric's face, Gudruda ?— say, wouldst
Eric's face ? I tell thee it is fair ! '
K\
_ __i
222 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
But Gudruda answered nothing, and Swanhild fell back,
laughing.
Now the feast began, and men waxed merry. But ever
Gudruda's heart grew heavier, for in it echoed those words
that Saevuna had spoken. Her eyes were dim, and she seemed
to see naught but the face of Eric as it had looked when he
came back to her that day on the brink of Goldfoss Falls and
she had thought him dead. Oh ! what if he still loved her
and were yet true at heart ? Swanhild mocked her! — what
if this was a plot of Swanhild's? Had not Swanhild
plotted aforetime, and could a wolf cease from ravening or
a witch from witch -work ? Nay, she had seen Eric's hair—
that he had sworn none save she should touch ! Perchance
he had been drugged, and the hair shorn from him in his
sleep ? Too late to think ! Of what use was thought ? — beside
her sat Ospakar, in one short hour she would be his. Ah !
that she could see him dead— the troll who had trafficked
her to shame, the foe she had summoned in her wrath and
jealousy ! She had done ill -she had fallen into Swanhild's
snare, and now Swanhild came to mock her !
The feast went on— cup followed cup. Now they poured
the bride-cup! Before her heart beat two hundred times
she would be the wife of Ospakar !
Blacktooth took the cup— pledged her in it, and drank
deep. Then he turned and strove to kiss her. But Gudruda
shrank from him with horror in her eyes, and all men
wondered. Still she must drink the bridal cup. She took
it. Dimly she saw the upturned faces, faintly she heard the
murmur of a hundred voices.
What was that voice she caught above them all— there—
without the hall ?
Holding the cup in her hand, Gudruda bent forward, staring
down the skali. Then she cried aloud, pointing to the door,
and the cup fell clattering from her hand and rolled along the
ground.
Men turned and looked. They saw this : there on the
threshold stood a man, glorious to look at, and from his
winged helm of gold the rays of light flashed through the
turn
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 223
dusky hall. The man was great and beautiful to see. He
had long yellow hair bound in about his girdle, and in his left
hand he held a pointed shield, in his right a spear, and at his
thigh there hung a mighty sword. Nor was he alone, for by
his side, a broad axe on his shoulder and shield in hand, stood
another man, clad in black-hued mail — a man well-nigh as
broad and big, with hawk's eyes, eagle beak, and black hair
streaked with grey.
For a moment there was silence. Then a voice spoke :
' Lo ! here be the Gods Baldur and Thor ! — come from
Valhalla to grace the marriage-feast ! '
Then the man with golden hair cried aloud in a voice that
made the rafters ring :
'Here are Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail,
his thrall, come from over sea to grace the feast, indeed ! '
'I could have looked for no worse guests,' said Bjorn
beneath his breath, and rose to bid men thrust them out.
But before he could speak, lo ! gold-helmed Eric and black-
helmed Skallagrim were stalking up the length of that great
ball. Side by side they stalked, with faces fierce and cold ;
nor stayed they till they stood before the high seat. Eric
looked up and round, and the light of his eyes was as the light
of a sword. Men marvelled at his greatness and his wonderful
beauty, and to Gudruda he seemed like a God.
' Here I see faces that are known to me,' said Eric.
ting, comrades ! '
Greeting, Brighteyes ! ' shouted the Middalhof folk and
company of Swanhild ; but the carles of Ospakar laid hand
on sword — they too knew Eric. For still all men loved Eric,
and the people of his quarter were proud of the deeds he had
K3 oversea,.
Greeting, Bjorn, Asmund's son ! ' quoth Eric. ' Greeting,
, ikar Blacktooth! Greeting, Swanhild the Fatherless,
Atli's witch-wife- Groa's witch-bairn ! Greeting, Hall of
Lithdale, Hall the liar— Hall who cut the grapnel-chain ! And
to thee, sweet Bride, to thee Gudruda the Fair, greeting ! '
Now Bjorn spoke : ' I will take no greeting from a shamed
and outlawed man. Get thee gone, Eric Brighteyes, and
224 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
take thy wolf-hound with thee, lest thou bidest here stiff and
cold.'
* Squeak not so loud, rat, lest hound's fang worry thee ! '
growled Skallagrim.
But Eric laughed aloud and cried —
1 Words must be said, and perchance men shall die, ere
ever I leave this hall, Bjorn ! '
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
225
grim.
CHAPTER XXIV
HOW THE FEAST WENT
iEARKEN all men ! ' said Eric.
' Thrust him out ! ' quoth
Bjorn.
' Nay, cut him down ! '
said Ospakar, ' he is an out-
lawed man.'
' Words first, then
deeds,' answered Skalla-
Thou shalt have thy fill of
both, Blacktooth, before day is done.'
'Let Eric say his say,' said
Gudruda, lifting her head . ' He has
been doomed unheard, and it is my
will that he sliall say his say.'
' What hast thou to do with Eric ? ' snarled Ospakar.
' The bride-cup is not yet drunk, lord,' she answered.,
' To thee, then, I will speak, lady,' quoth Eric. ' How
comes it that, being betrothed to me, thou dost sit there the
bride of Ospakar ? '
' Ask of Swanhild,' said Gudruda in a low voice. ' Ask
also of Hall of Lithdale yonder, who brought me Swanhild's
gift from Straumey.'
' I must ask much of Hall and he must answer much,'
said Eric. ' What tale, then, did he bring thee from
Straumey ? '
' He said this, Eric,' Gudruda answered : ' that thou wast
Swanhild's love ; that for Swanhild's sake thou hadst basely
Q
226 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
killed Atli the Good, and that thou wast about to wed Swan-
hild's self and take the Earl's seat in Orkneys.'
' And for what cause wras I made outlaw at the Althing ? '
' For this cause, Eric,' said Bjorn, ' that thou hadst dealt
evilly with Swanhild, bringing her to shame against her will,
and thereafter that thou hadst slain the Earl, her husband.'
' Which, then, of these tales is true ? for both cannot be
true,' said Brighteyes. ' Speak, Swanhild.'
4 Thou knowest well that the last is true,' said Swanhild
boldly.
I How then comes it that thou didst charge Hall with that
message to Gudruda ? How then comes it that thou didst
send her the lock of hair which thou didst cozen me to
give thee ? '
I 1 charged Hall with no message, and I sent no lock of
hair,' Swanhild answered.
' Stand thou forward, Hall ! ' said Eric, ' and liar and
coward though thou art, dare not to speak other than the
truth ! Nay, look not at the door : for, if thou stirrest, this
spear shall find thee before thou hast gone a pace ! '
Now Hall stood forward, trembling with fear, for he saw
the eye of Skallagrim watching him close, and while
Lambstail watched, his fingers toyed with the handle of his
axe.
' It is true, lord, that Swanhild charged me with that
message which I gave to the Lady Gudruda. Also she bade
me give the lock of hair.'
' And for this service thou didst take money, Hall ? '
' Ay, lord, she gave me money for my faring.'
' And all the while thou knewest the tidings false ? '
Hall made no reply.
' Answer ! thundered Eric — ' answer the truth, knave, or
by every God that passes the hundred gates I will not spare
thee twice ! '
It is so, lord,' said Hall.
'Thou liest, fox ! ' cried Swanhild, white with wrath and
casting a fierce look upon Hall. But men took no heed of
Swanhild' s words, for all eyes were bent on Eric.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 227
' Is it now your pleasure, comrades, that I should tell
you the truth ? ' said Brighteyes.
The most part of the company shouted ' Yea ! ' but the men
of Ospakar stood silent.
* Speak on, Eric,' quoth Gudruda.
* This is the truth, then : Swanhild the Fatherless, Atli's
wife, has always sought my love, and she has ever hated
Gudruda whom I loved. From a child she has striven to
work mischief between us. Ay, and she did this, though till
now it has been hidden : she strove to murder Gudruda ; it
was on the day that Skallagrim and I overcame Ospakar and
his band on Horse -Head Heights. She thrust Gudruda from
the brink of Golden Falls while she sat looking on the waters,
and as she hung there I dragged her back. Is it not so,
Gudruda ? '
' It is so,' said Gudruda.
Now men murmured and looked at Swanhild. But she
shrank back, plucking at her purple cloak.
'It was for this cause,' said Eric, 'that Asmund, Swa.n-
hild's father, gave her choice to wed Atli the Earl and pass
aver sea or to take her trial in the Doom-Ring. She wedded
Atli and went away. Afterwards, by witchcraft, she brought
my ship to wreck on Straumey's Isle — ay, she walked the
waters like a shape of light and lured us on to ruin, so that
all were drowned except Skallagrim and myself. Is it not
so, Skallagrim '? '
' It is so, lord. I saw her with my eyes.'
Again folk murmured.
' Then we must sit in Atli's hall,' said Eric, ' and there
we dwelt last winter. For a while Swanhild did no harm, till I
feared her no more. But some three months ago, I was left
with her : and a man called Roll, Groa's thrall, of whom ye
know, came out from Iceland, bringing news of the death
of Asmund the priest, of Unna my cousin, and of Groa the
witch. To these ill-tidings Swanhild bribed him to add some-
thing. She bribed him to add this : that thou, Gudruda, wast
betrothed to Ospakar, and wouldst wed him on last Yule Day.
Moreover, he gave me a certain message from thee, (ludnuhi,
Q2
228 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
and, in token of its truth, the half of that coin which I broke
with thee long years ago. Say now, lady, didst thou send
the coin ? '
* Nay, never ! ' cried Gudruda ; ' many years ago 1 lost
the half thou gavest me, though I feared to tell thee.'
* Perchance one stands there who found it,' said Eric,
pointing with his spear at Swanhild. * At the least I was
deceived by it. Now the tale is short. Swanhild mourned
with me, and in my sorrow I mourned bitterly. Then it
was she asked a boon, that lock of mine, Gudruda, and,
thinking thee faithless, I gave it, holding all oaths broken.
Then too, when I would have left her, she drugged me with a
witch-draught — ay, she drugged me, and I woke to find myself
false to my oath, false to Atli, and false to thee, Gudruda. I
cursed her and I left her, waiting for the Earl, to tell him all.
But Swanhild outwitted me. She told him that other tale of
shame that ye have heard, and brought Koll to him as witness
of the tale. Atli was deceived by her, and not until I had cut
him down in anger at the bitter words he spoke, calling
me coward and niddering, did he know the truth. But
before he died he knew it ; and he died, holding my hand and
bidding those about him find Koll and slay him. Is it not
so, ye who were Atli's men ? '
' It is so, Eric ! ' they cried ; ' we heard it with our own
ears, and we slew Koll. But afterwards Swanhild brought
us to believe that Earl Atli wras distraught when he spoke
thus, and that things were indeed as she had said.'
Again men murmured, and a strange light shone in
Gudruda's eyes.
' Now, Gudruda, thou hast heard all my story,' said Eric.
' Say, dost thou believe me ? '
' I believe thee, Eric.'
4 Say then, wilt thou still wed yon Ospakar ? '
Gudruda looked on Blacktooth, then she looked at golden
Eric and opened her lips to speak. But before a word could pass
them Ospakar rose in wrath, laying his hand upon his sword.
'Thinkest thou thus to lure away my dove, outlaw?
First I will see thee food for crown-'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 229
4 Well spoken, Blacktooth,' laughed Eric. ' I waited for such
words from thee. Thrice have we striven together — once out
yonder in the snow, once on Horse-Head Heights, and once by
Westman Isles — and still we live to tell the tale. Come
down, Ospakar ; come down from that soft seat of thine and
here and now let ns put it to the proof who is the better man.
When we met before, the stake was Whitefire set against
my eye. Now the stake is our lives and fair Gudruda's hand.
Talk no more, Ospakar, but fall to it.'
' Gudruda shall never wed thee, while I live ! ' said Bjorn ;
' thou art a landless loon, a brawler, and an outlaw. Get
thee gone, Eric, with thy wolf-hound ! '
' Squeak not so loud, rat— squeak not so loud, lest hound's
fang worry thee ! ' said Skallagrim.
' Whether I wed Gudruda or whether I wed her not is a
matter that shall be known in its season,' said Eric. 'For
thy words, I say this : that it is risky to hurl names at such as
I am, Bjorn, lest perchance I answer them with spear- thrusts.
'1 hy answer, Ospakar ! What need to wait ? Thy answer ! '
Now Ospakar looked at Brighteyes and grew afraid. He was
a mighty man, but he knew the weight of Eric's arm.
'1 will not fight with thee, carle,' he said, 'who hast
naught to lose.'
' Then thou art coward and ruddering ! ' said Eric. ' Ospakar
Niddering I name thee here before all men ! What ! thou
couldst plot against me— thou couldst waylay me, ten to one
and two ships to one, but face to face with me alone thou dost
not dare to stand ? Comrades, look on your lord ! — look at
Ospakar the Niddering ! '
Now the swarthy brow of Blacktooth grew red with rage,
and his breath came in great gasps. ' Ho, men ! ' he cried,
' drive this knave away. Strip his harness off him and whip
him hence with rods.'
' Let but a man stir towards me and this spear flies through
thy heart, Niddering,' cried Eric. ' Gudruda, what thinkest
thou of thy lord ? '
' I know this,' said Gudruda, ' that I will not wed a man who
is named " Niddering " in the face of all and lifts no sword.'
230 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Gudruda spoke thus, because she was mad with love and
fear and shame, and she desired that Eric should stand face
to face with Ospakar Blacktooth, for thus, alone, she might
perhaps be rid of Ospakar.
' Such words do not come well from gentle lips,' said Bjorn.
' Is it to be borne, brother,' answered Gudruda, ' that the
man who would call me wife should be named Ospakar the
Niddering ? When that shame is washed away, and then only,
can I think on marriage. I will never be Niddering's bride ! '
* Thou nearest, Ospakar Niddering ? ' said Eric. Then he
gave the spear in his hand to Skallagrim, and, gripping
Whitefire's hilt, he burst the peace -strings, and tore it from
the scabbard.
Now the great sword shone on high like lightning leaping
from a cloud, and as it shone men shouted, ' Ospakar ! Ospa-
kar Niddering ! Come, win back Whitefire from Eric's hand,
or be for ever shamed ! '
Blacktooth could endure this no more. He snatched
sword and shield, and, like a bear from a cave, like a wolf from
his lair, rushed roaring from his seat. On he came, and the
ground shook beneath his bulk.
' At last, Niddering ! ' cried Eric, and sprang to meet him.
' Back ! all men, back ! ' shouted Skallagrim, * now we shall
see blows.'
As he spoke the great swords flashed aloft and clanged
upon the iron shields. So heavy were the blows that fire
leapt out from them. Ospakar reeled back beneath the shock,
and Eric was beaten to his knee. Now he was up, but
as he rushed, Ospakar struck again and swept away half
of Brighteyen's pointed shield so that it fell upon the floor.
Eric smote also, but Ospakar dropped his knee to earth and
the sword hissed over him. Blacktooth cut at Eric's legs ;
but Brighteyes sprang from the ground and took no harm.
Now some cried, ' Eric ! Eric ! ' and some cried ' Ospakar !
Ospakar ! ' for no one knew how the fight would go.
Gudruda sat watching in the high seat, and as blows fell
her colour came and went.
Swanhild drew near, watching also, and she desired in
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 231
her fierce heart to see Eric brought to shame and death, for,
should he win, then Gudruda would be rid of Ospakar. Now,
by her side stood Gizur, Ospakar's son, and near to her was
Bjorn. These two held their breath, for, if Eric conquered,
all their plans were brought to nothing.
Even as he sprang into the air, Eric smote down with all
his strength. The blow fell on Ospakar's shield. It shore
through the shield and struck on the shoulder beneath. But
Blacktooth's byrnie was good, nor did the sword bite on it.
Still the stroke was so heavy that Ospakar staggered back four
paces beneath it, then fell upon the ground.
Now folk raised a shout of ' Eric ! Eric ! ' for it seemed
that Ospakar was sped. Brighteyes, too, cried aloud, then
rushed forward. Now, as he came, Swanhild whispered an
eager word into the ear of Bjorn. By Bjorn's foot lay that
half of Eric's shield that had been shorn away by the
sword of Ospakar. Gudruda, watching, saw Bjorn push it
with his shoe so that it slid before the feet of Brighteyes.
His right foot caught on it, he stumbled heavily — stumbled
again, then fell prone on his face, and, as he fell, stretched
out his sword-hand to save himself, so that Whitefire flew
from his grasp. The blade struck its hilt against the
ground, then circled in the air and fixed itself, point down-
wards, in the clay of the flooring. The hand of Ospakar
rising from the ground smote against the hilt of Whitefire.
He saw it, with a shout he cast his own sword away and
clasped Whitefire.
Away circled the sword of Ospakar; and of that cast
this strange thing is told, false or true. Far in the corner
of the hall lurked Thorunna, she who had betrayed Skallagrim
when he was named Ounound. She had come with a heavy
heart to Middalhof in the company of Ospakar ; but when she
saw Skallagrim, her husband — whom she had betrayed, and
who had turned Baresark because of her wickedness— shame
smote her, and she crept away and hid herself behind the
hangings of the hall. The sword sped along point first, it
rushed like a spear through the air. It fell on the hangings,
piercing them, piercing the heart of Thorunna, who cowered
232 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
behind them, so that with one cry she sank dead to earth,
slain by her lover's hand.
Now when men saw that Ospakar once more held White-
fire in his hand — Whitefire that Brighteyes had won from
him — they called aloud that it was an omen. The sword of
Blacktooth had come back to Blacktooth and now Eric would
surely be slain of it !
Eric sprang from the ground. He heard the shouts and
saw Whitefire blazing in Ospakar's hand.
1 Now thou art weaponless, fly ! Brighteyes ; fly ! ' cried
some.
Gudruda's cheek grew white with fear, and for a moment
Eric's heart failed him.
' Fly not ! ' roared Skallagrim. * Bjorn tripped thee.
Yet hast thou half a shield ! '
Ospakar rushed on, and Whitefire flickered over Eric's
helm. Down it came and shore one wing from the helm.
Again it shone and fell, but Brighteyes caught the blow
on his broken shield.
Then, while men waited to see him slain, Eric gave a great
war-shout and sprang forward.
' Thou art mad ! ' shouted the folk.
' Ye shall see ! Ye shall see ! ' screamed Skallagrim.
Again Ospakar smote, and again Eric caught the blow ;
and behold ! he struck back, thrusting with the point of the
shorn shield straight at the face of Ospakar.
' Peck ! Eagle ; peck ! ' cried Skallagrim.
Once more Whitefire shone above him. Eric rushed in
beneath the sword, and with all his mighty strength thrust
the buckler-point at Blacktooth's face. It struck fair and
full, and lo ! the helm of Ospakar burst asunder. He threw
wide his giant arms, then fell as a pine falls upon the
mountain edge. He fell back, and he lay still.
But Eric, stooping over him, took Whitefire from his
hand.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
233
CHAPTER XXV
HOW THE FEAST ENDED
PI OR a moment there was
silence in the hall, for
men had known no such
fight as this.
'Why, then, do yo
gape?' laughed Skal-
lagrim, pointing with
the spear. 'Dead is
Ospakar ! — slain by a
swordless man ! Kric
Brighteyes hath slain Ospakar Blacktootli ! '
Then there went up such a shout as never was heard in
the hall of Middalhof.
Now when Gudruda knew that Ospakar was sped, she
looked at Eric as lie rested, leaning on his sword, and her
heart was filled with awe and love. She sprang from her
seat, a-nd, coming to where Brighteyes stood, she greeted him.
' Welcome to Iceland, Eric ! ' she said. ' Welcome, thou
glory of the south ! '
Now Swanhild grew wild, for she saw that Eric was about
to take Gudruda in his arms and kiss her before all men.
' Say, Bjorn,' she cried : 'wilt thou suffer that this outlaw,
having slain Ospakar, should lead Gudruda hence as wife ? '
'He shall never do so while I live,' cried Bjorn, nearly
mad with rage. ' This is my command, sister : that thou dost
see Eric no more.'
' Say, Bjorn,' answered Gudruda, ' did I dream, or did I
234
BRIGHTEYES
indeed see thee thrust the broken buckler before Eric's feet,
so that he stumbled on ii; and fell ? '
' That thou sawest, lady,' said Skallagrim ; ' for I saw it
also.'
Now Bjorn grew white in his anger. He did not answer
Gudruda, but called aloud to his men to slay Eric and
Skallagrim. Gizur called also to the folk of Ospakar, and
Swanhild to those who came with her.
Then Gudruda fled back to her seat.
But Eric cried aloud also : ' Ye who love me, cleave to me.
Suffer it not that Brighteyes be cut down of northerners and
outland men. Hear me, Atli's folk; hear me, carles of Cold-
back and of Middalhof ! '
And so greatly did many love Eric that half of the thralls of
Bjorn, and almost all of the company of Swanhild who had
been Atli's shield-men and Brighteyes' comrades, drew swords,
shouting ' Eric ! Eric ! ' But the carles of Ospakar came on
to make an end of him.
Bjorn saw, and, drawing sword, smote at Brighteyes, taking
him unawares. But Skallagrim caught the blow upon his
axe, and before Bjorn could smite again Whitefire was aloft
and down fell Bjorn, dead !
This was the end of Bjorn, Asmund's son.
' Thou hast squeaked thy last, rat ! What did I tell thee ? '
cried Skallagrim. ' Take Bjorn's shield and back to back, lord,
for here come foes.'
' There goes one,' answered Eric, pointing to the door.
Now Hall of Lithdale slunk through the doorway — Hall,
the liar, who cut the grapnel-chain — for he wished to see the
last of Skallagrim. But the Baresark still held Eric's spear
in his hand. He whirled it aloft, and it hissed through
the air. The aim was good, for, as he crept away, the spear
struck Hall between neck and shoulder, pinning him to the
doorpost, and there the liar died.
' Now the weasel is nailed to the beam,' said Skallagrim.
' Hall of Lithdale, what did I promise thee ? '
* Guard thy head and my back,' quoth Eric ; ' blows fall ! '
Now men smote at Eric and Skallagrim, nor did they
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
235
spare to smite in turn. And as foes fell before him, Eric
stepped one pace forward towards the door, and Skallagrim,
who, back to back with him, held off those who pressed
behind, took one step rearwards. Thus, a foe for every step,
they won their way down the long hall. Fierce raged the
fray around them, for, mad with hate and drink and the lust
of fight, Swanhild's folk — Eric's friends — remembering the
words of Atli, fell on Ospakar's ; and the people of Bjorn
fell on each other, brother on brother, and father on son —
nor might the fray be stayed. The boards were overthrown,
dead men lay among the meats and mead, and the blood of
freeman, lord and thrall ran adown the floor. Everywhere
through the dusky hall glittered the sheen of flashing swords
and rose the clang of war. Darts clove the air like tongues
of flame, and the clamour of battle beat against the roof.
Blinded of the Norns who brought these things to pass,
men sought no mercy and they gave none, but smote and slew
till few were left to slay.
And still Gudruda sat in her bride-seat, and, with eyes
fixed in horror, watched the waxing of the war. Near to
her stood Swanhild, marking all things with fierce- set face,
and calling down curses on her folk, who one and all cried
' Eric ! Eric ! ' and swept the thralls of Ospakar as corn is
swept of the sickle.
And there, nigh to the door, pale of face and beautiful to
see, golden Eric clove his way, and with him went black
Skallagrim. Terrible was the flare of Whitefire as he flickered
aloft like the levin in the cloud. Terrible was the flare of
Whitefire ; but more terrible was the light of Eric's eyes, for
they seemed to flame in his head, and wherever that fire fell il,
lighted men the way to death. Whitefire sung and flickered,
and crashed the axe of Skallagrim, and still through the
press of war they won their way. Now Gizur stands before
them, spear aloft, and Whitefire leaps up to meet him. Lo !
he turns and flies. The coward son of Ospakar does not sock
the fate of Ospakar !
The door is won. They stand without but little harmed,
while women wail aloud.
236 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 To horse ! ' cried Skallagrim ; ' to horse, ore our luck
fail us ! '
' There is no luck in this,' gasped Eric ; ' for I have
slain many men, and among them is Bjorn, the brother of her
whom I would make my bride.'
' Better one such fight than many brides,' said Skallagrim,
shaking his red axe. ' We have won great glory this day,
Brighteyes, and Ospakar is dead — slain by a swordless
man ! '
NowEricand Skallagrim ran to their horses, none hindering
them, and, mounting, rode towards Mosfell.
All that evening and all the night they rode, and at
morning they came across the black sand to Mosfell slopes
that are by the Hecla. Here they rested, and, taking off their
armour, washed themselves in the stream : for they were very
weary and foul with blood and wounds. When they had
finished washing and had buckled on their harness again,
Skallagrim, peering across the plain with his hawk's eyes,
saw men riding fast towards them.
' Foes are soon afoot, lord,' he said. ' I thought we had
stayed their hunger for a while.'
' Would that I might stay mine,' quoth Eric. ' I am weary,
and unfit for fight.'
'I have still strength for one or two,' said Skallagrim,
* and then good- night ! But these are no foes. They are of
the Coldback folk. The carline has kept her word.'
Then Eric was glad, and presently six men, headed by Jon
his thrall, the same man who had watched on Mosfell when
Eric went up to slay the Baresark, rode to them and greeted
them. ' Beggar women,' said Jon, ' whom they met at Ran
River, had told them of the death of Ospakar, and of the great
slaying at Middalhof, and they would know if the tidings
were true.'
4 It is true, Jon,' said Eric ; ' but first give us food, if ye
have it, for we are hungered and spent. When we have eaten
we will speak.'
So they led up a pack-horse and from it took stockfish and
ERIC BRIGHT EYES 237
smoked meat, of which Eric and Skallagrim eat heartily, till
their strength came back to them.
Then Eric spoke. ' Comrades,' he said, ' I am an outlawed
man, and, though I have not sought it, much blood is on my
head. Atli is dead at my hand ; Ospakar is dead at my hand ;
Bjorn the Priest, Asmund's son, is dead at my hand, and
with them many another man. Nor may the matter stay
here, for Gizur, Blacktooth's son, yet lives, and Bjorn has
kin in the south, and Swanhild will buy friends with gold,
and all of these will set on me to slay me, so that at the last
I die by the sword.'
* No need for that,' said Skallagrim. ' Our vengeance is
wrought, and now, as before, the sea is open, and I think
that a welcome awaits us in London.'
' Now Gudruda is widowed before she was fully wed,' said
Eric, 'therefore I bide an outlawed man here in Iceland.
I go hence no more, though it be death to stay, unless indeed
Gudruda the Fair goes with me.'
' It will be death, then,' said Skallagrim, ' and the swords
are forged that we shall feel. The odds are too heavy, lord.'
' Mayhap,' answered Eric. ' No man may flee his fate,
and I shall not altogether grieve when mine finds me.
Hearken, comrades : I go up Mosfell height, and there I stay,
till those be found who can drag me from my hole. But this
is my counsel to you : that ye leave me to my doom, for I am
an unlucky man who always chooses the wrong road.'
' That will not I,' said Skallagrim.
' Nor we,' said Eric's folk ; ' Swanhild holds Coldback, and
we are driven to the fells. To the fells then we will go with
thee, Eric Brighteyes, and become cave-dwellers and outlnws
for thy sake. Fear not, thou shalt still find many friends.'
'I did not look for such a thing at your hands,' said
Eric ; ' but stormy waters shew how the boat is built. May
no bad luck come to you from your good fellowship. And now
let us to our nest.'
Then they caught the horses, and rode with Brighteyes up
the steep side of Mosfell, till at length they came to that secret
dell which Skallagrim had once shown to Eric. Here they
238 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
turned the horses loose to feed, and, going forward on foot,
reached the dark and narrow pass that Brighteyes had
trod when he sought for the Baresark foe. Skallagrim led the
way along it, then came Eric and the rest. One by one they
stepped on to the giddy point of rock, and, catching at the
birch-bush, entered the hole. So they gained the platform
and the great cave beyond; and they found that no man
had set foot there since the day when Eric had striven with
Skallagrim. For there on the rock, rotten with the weather,
lay that haft of wood which Brighteyes had hewed from the
axe of Skallagrim, and in the cave were many things beside
as the Baresark had left them.
So they took up their dwelling in the cave, Eric, Skalla-
grim, and the six Coldback men, and there they dwelt many
months. But Eric sent out men, one at a time, and got
together food and a store of sheepskins, arid other needful
things. For he knew this well : that Gizur and Swanhild
would before long come up against them, and, if they could
not take them by force, would set themselves to watch the
niountain-path and starve them out.
When Eric and Skallagrim rode away from Middalhof the
fight still raged fiercely in the hall, and nothing but death
might stay it. The minds of men were mad, and they smote
one another, and slew each other, till at length of all that
marriage company few were left unharmed, except Gizur,
Swanhild, and Gudruda. For the serving thralls and women-
folk had fled the hall, and with them some peaceful men.
Then Gudruda spoke as one in a dream.
' Saevuna's prophecy was true,' she said, 'red was the
marriage-feast of Asmund my father, redder has been the
marriage -feast of Ospakar ! She saw the hall of Middalhof
one gore of blood, and lo ! it is so. Look upon thy work,
Swanhild,' and she pointed to the piled-up dead — ' look upon
thy work, witch -sister, and grow fearful : for all this death is
on thy head ! '
Swanhild laughed aloud. 'I think it a merry sight,' she
cried. ' The marriage-feast of Asmund our father was red,
ERIC BR1GHTEYES 239
and thy marriage-feast, Gudruda, has been redder. Would that
thy blood and the blood of Eric ran with the blood of Bjorn
and Ospakar ! That tale must yet be told, Gudruda. There
shall be binding on of Hell-shoes at Middalhof, but I bind
them not. My task is still to come : for I will live to fasten the
Hell- shoes on the feet of Eric, and on thy feet, Gudruda ! At
the least, I have brought about this much, that thou canst
scarcely wed Eric the outlaw : for with his own hand he slew
Bjorn our brother, and because of this I count all that
death as nothing. Thou canst not mate with Brighteyes, lest
the wide wounds of Bjorn thy brother should take tongues
and cry thy shame from sea to sea ! '
Gudruda made no answer, but sat as one carved in stone.
Then Swanhild spoke again :
' Let us away to the north, Gizur ; there to gather strength
to make an end of Eric. Say, wilt thou help us, Gudruda ?
The blood-feud for the death of Bjorn. is thine.'
* Ye are enough to bring about the fall of one unfriended
man,' Gudruda said. ' Go, and leave me with my sorrow and
the dead. Nay ! before thou goest, listen, Swanhild, for there
is that in my heart which tells me I shall never look again
upon thy face. From evil to evil thou hast ever gone, Swan-
hild, and from evil to evil thou wilt go. It well may chance
that thy wickedness will win. It may well chance that thou
wilt crown thy crimes with my slaying and the slaying of the
man who loves me. But I tell thee this, traitress — murderess,
as thou art — that here the tale ends not. Not by death,
Swanhild, shalt thou escape the deeds of life ! There they
shall rise up against thee, and there every shame that thou
hast worked, every sin that thou hast sinned, and every soul
that thou hast brought to Hela's halls, shall come to haunt
thee and to drive thee on from age to age ! That witch-
craft which thou lovest shall mesh thee. Shadows slia.ll
bewilder thee ; from the bowl of empty longing thou shalt
drink and drink, and not be satisfied. Yea ! lusts shall
mock and madden thee. Thou shalt ride the winds, thou
shalt sail the seas, but thou shalt find no harbour, ;md
never shalt thou set foot upon a shore of peace.
24o ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 Go on, Swanhild — dye those hands in blood — wade
through the river of shame ! Seek thy desire, and finding, lose !
Work thy evil, and winning, fail ! I yet shall triumph— I yet
shall trample thee ; and, in a place to come, with Eric at
my side, I shall make a mock of Swanhild the murderess !
Swanhild the liar, and the wanton, and the witch ! Now get
thee gone ! '
Swanhild heard. She looked up at Gudruda's face and
it was alight as with a fire. She strove to answer, but no
words came. Then Groa's daughter turned and went, and
with her went Gizur.
Now women and thralls came in and drew out the wounded
and those who still breathed from among the dead, taking them
to the temple. They bore away the body of Ospakar also, but
they left the rest.
All night long Gudruda sat in the bride's seat. There
she sat in the silver summer midnight, looking on the slain
who were strewn about the great hall. All night she sat
alone in the bride's seat thinking — ever thinking.
How, then, would it end ? There her brother Bjorn lay
a-cold — Bjorn the justly slain of Brighteyes ; yet how could
she wed the man who slew her brother ? From Ospakar she
was divorced by death ; from Eric she was divorced by the
blood of Bjorn her brother ! How might she unravel this
tangled skein and float to weal upon this sea of death '? All
things went amiss ! The doom was on her ! She had lived to
an ill purpose — her love had wrought evil ! What availed it
to have been born to be fair among women and to have
desired that which might not be ? And she herself had brought
these things to pass — she had loosed the rock which crushed
her ! Why had she hearkened to that false tale ?
Gudruda sat on high in the bride's seat, asking wisdom of
the piled- up dead, while the cold blue shadows of the nigh tless
night gathered over her and them — gathered, and waned, and
grew at last to the glare of day.
'All night long Gudruda sat in B Seat,
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
241
CHAPTER XXVI
HOW ERIC VENTURED DOWN TO MIDDALHOF AND
WHAT HE FOUND
CIZUR went north to Swine-
fell, and Swanhild went with
him. For now that Ospakar
was dead at Eric's hand.
Gizur ruled in his place at
Swinefell, and was the
greatest lord in all the north.
He loved Swanhild, and de-
but she played with him, talking
Swanhild was not minded to be
the wife of any man, except of Eric ; to all others she was
cold as the winter earth. Still, she fooled Gizur as she had
fooled Atli the Good, and he grew blind with love of her. For
still the beauty of Swanhild waxed as the moon waxes in the
sky, and her wicked eyes shone as the stars shine when the
moon has set.
Now they came to Swinefell, and there Gizur buried
Ospakar Blacktooth, his father, with much state. He set him
in a chamber of rock and timbers on a mountain- top, whence
he might see all the lands that once were his, and built up a
great mound of earth above him. To this day people tell that
here on Yule night black Ospakar bursts out, and golden
Eric rides down the blast to meet him. Then como tlio
clang of swords, and groans, and the sound of riven helms,
OSPAKAK'S CAIRN.
sired to make her his wife
darkly of what might be.
241 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
till presently Brighteyes passes southward on the wind, bearing
in his hand the half of a cloven shield.
So Gizur bound the Hell-shoes on his father, and swore that
he would neither rest nor stay till Eric Brighteyes was dead
and dead was Skallagrim Lambstail. Then he gathered a
great force of men and rode south to Coldback, to the slaying
of Eric, and with him went Swanhild.
Gudruda sat alone in the haunted hall of Middalhof and
brooded on her love and on her fate. Eric, too, sat in Mosfell
cave and brooded on his evil chance. His heart was sick with
sorrow, and there was little that he could do except think
about the past. He would not go to foray, after the fashion
of outlaws, and there was no need of this. For the talk of
his mighty deeds spread through the land, so that people spoke
of little else. And the men of his quarter were so proud of
these deeds of Eric's that, though some of their kin had fallen
at his hands in the great fight of Middalhof and some at the
hands of Skallagrim, yet they spoke of him as men speak of a
God. Moreover they brought him gifts of food and clothing
and arms, as many as his people could carry away, and laid
them in a booth that is on the plain near the foot of Mosfell,
which thenceforth was named Ericsfell. Further, they bade
his thralls tell him that, if he wished it, they would find a good
ship of war to take him from Iceland — ay, and man it with
loyal men and true.
Eric thanked them through Jon his thrall, but answered
that he wished to die here in Iceland.
Now, when Eric had sat two months and more in Mosfell
cave and autumn was coming, he learned that Gizur and
Swanhild had moved down to Coldback, and with them a
great company of men who were sworn to slay him. He
asked if Gudruda the Fair had also gathered men for his
slaying. They told him no ; that Gudruda stayed with her
thralls and women at Middalhof, mourning for Bjorn her
brother. From these tidings Eric took some heart of hope : at
the least Gudruda laid no blood-feud against him. For
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 24.3
he waited, thinking, if indeed she yet loved him, that Gudruda
would send him some word or token of her love. But no
word came, since between them ran the blood of Bjorn. On
the morrow of these tidings Skallagrim spoke to Eric.
' This is my counsel, lord,' he said, ' that we ride out by
night and fall on the folk of Gizur at Coldback, and burn the
stead over them, putting them to the sword. I am weary of
sitting here like an eagle in a cage.'
' Such is no counsel of mine, Skallagrim,' answered Bright-
eyes. ' I am weary of sitting here, indeed ; but I am yet more
weary of bringing men to their death. I will shed no more
blood, unless it is to save my own head. When the people of
Gizur come to seek me on Mosfell, they shall find me here ;
but I will not go to them.'
' Thy heart is out of thee, lord,' said Skallagrim ; ' tliou
wast not wont to speak thus.'
' Ay, Skallagrim,' said Eric, ' the heart is out of me. Yet
I ride from Mosfell to -day.'
' Whither, lord ? '
' To Middalhof, to have speech with Gudruda the Fair.'
' Like enough, then, thou wilt be silent thereafter.'
' It well may be,' said Eric. ' Yet I will ride. I can
bear this doubt no longer.'
' Then I shall come with thee,' said Skallagrim.
' As thou wilt,' answered Eric.
So at midday Eric and Skallagrim rode away from Mosfell
in a storm of rain. The rain was so heavy that those of
Gizur's spies who watched the mountain did not see them. All
that day they rode and all the night, till by morning they came
to Middalhof. Eric told Skallagrim to stay with the horses and
let them feed, while he went on foot to see if by chance he
might get speech with Gudruda. This the Baresark did,
though he grumbled at the task, fearing lest Eric should he
done to death and he not there to die with him.
Now Eric walked to within two bowshots of tiie house, then
sat down in a dell by the river, from the edge of which he
could see those who passed in and out. Presently his heart
ve a leap, for there came out from the women's door
gav
244 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
a lady tall and beautiful to see, and with golden hair that
flowed about her breast. It was Gudruda, and he saw that
she bore a napkin in her hand. Then Eric knew, according to
her custom on the warm mornings, that she came alone to
bathe in the river, as she had always done from a child. It
was her habit to bathe here in this place : for at the bottom of
the dell was a spot where reeds and bushes grew thick, and
the water lay in a basin of rock and was clear and still.
For at this spot a hot spring ran into the river.
Eric went down the dell, hid himself close in the bushes
and waited, for he feared to speak with Gudruda in the open
field. A while passed, and presently the shadow of the lady
crept over the edge of the dell, then she came herself in that
beauty which since her day has not been known in Iceland.
Her face was sad and sweet, her dark and lovely eyes
were sad. On she came, till she stood within a spear's
length of where Eric lay, crouched in the bush, and looking at
her through the hedge of reeds. Here a flat rock overhung the
water, and Gudruda sat herself on this rock, and, shaking off
her shoes, dipped her white feet in the water. Then suddenly
she threw aside her cloak, baring her arms, and, gazing
upon the shadow of her beauty in the mirror of the water,
sighed and sighed again, while Eric looked at her with a
bursting heart, for as yet he could find no words to say.
Now she spoke aloud. ' Of what use to be so fair ? ' she
said. ' Oh, wherefore was I born so fair to bring death to
many and sorrow on myself and him I love ? ' And she shook
her golden hair about her arms of snow, and, holding the
napkin to her eyes, wept softly. But it seemed to Eric that
between her sobs she called upon his name.
Now Eric could no longer bear the sight of Gudruda
weeping. While she wept, hiding her eyes, he rose from be-
hind the screen of reeds and stood beside her in such fashion
that his shadow fell upon her. She felt the sunlight pass and
looked up. Lo ! it was no cloud, but the shape of Eric, and
the sun glittered on his golden helm and hair.
4 Eric ! ' Gudruda cried ; ' Eric ! ' Then, remembering how
she was attired, snatching her cloak, she threw it about her
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 245
arms and thrust her wet feet into her shoes. ' Out upon
thee ! ' she said ; ' is it not enough, then, that thou shouldst
break thy troth for Swanhild's sake, that thou shouldst slay
my brother and turn my hall to shambles ? Wouldst now
steal upon me thus ! '
' Methought that thou didst weep and call upon my
name, Gudruda,' he said humbly.
' By what right art thou here to hearken to my words ? '
she answered. ' Is it, then, strange that I should speak the
name of him who slew my brother ? Is it strange that I should
weep over that brother whom thou didst slay ? Get thee gone,
Brighteyes, before I call my folk to kill thee ! '
' Call on, Gudruda. I set little price upon my life. I
laid it in the hands of chance when I came from Mosfell
to speak with thee, and now I will pay it down if so it
pleases thee. Fear not, thy thralls shall have an easy task :
for I shall scarcely care to hold my own. Say, shall I call for
thee ? '
* Hush ! Speak not so loud ! Folk may hear thee, Eric,
and then thou wilt be in danger— I would say that, then
shall ill things be told of me, because I am found with him
who slew my brother ? '
* I slew Ospakar also, Gudruda. Surely the death of him
by whose side thou didst sit as wife is more to thee than the
death of Bjorn ? '
' The bride- cup was not yet drunk, Eric ; therefore I
have no blood-feud for Ospakar.'
' Is it, then, thy will that I should go, lady ? '
* Yes, go ! — go ! Never let me see thy face again !
Brighteyes turned without a word. He took three paces
and Gudruda watched him as he went.
' Eric ! ' she called. ' Eric ! thou mayest not go yet : for
at this hour the thralls bring down the kiiie to milk, and they
will see thee. Lie thou hid here. I — I will go. For though,
indeed, thou dost deserve to die, I am not willing to bring
thee to thy end — because of old friendship I am not willing ! '
' If thou goest I will go also,' said Eric. ' Thralls or no
thralls, I \yill go, Gudruda.'
246 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
1 Thou art cruel to drive me to such a choice, and I have
a mind to give thee to thy fate.'
' As thouwilt,' said Eric ; but she made as though she did
not hear his words. «
' Now,' she said, ' if we must stay here, it is better that we
hide where thou didst hide, lest some come upon thee.' And
she passed through the screen of rushes and sat down in
a grassy place beyond, and spoke again.
' Nay, sit not near me ; sit yonder. I would not touch
thee, nor look upon thee, who wast Swanhild's love, and didst
slay Bjorn my brother.'
' Say, Gudruda,' said Eric, ' did I not tell thee of the
magic arts of Swanhild? Did I not tell thee before all
men yonder in the hall, and didst thou not say that thou
didst believe my words ? Speak.'
' That is true,' said Gudruda.
' Wherefore, then, dost thou taunt me with being Swan-
hild's love— with being the love of her whom of all alive I
hate the most — and whose wicked guile has brought these
sorrows on us ? '
But Gudruda did not answer.
'And for this matter of the death of Bjorn at my hands,
think, Gudruda : was I to blame in it ? Did not Bjorn
thrust the cloven shield before my feet, and thus give me
into the hand of Ospakar ? Did he not afterwards smite at
me from behind, and would he not have slain me if Skalla-
grim had not caught the blow? Was I, then, to blame if I
smote back and if the sword flew home ? Wilt thou let the
needful deed rise up against our love ? Speak, Gudruda ! '
' Talk no more of love to me, Eric,' she answered ; * the
blood of Bjorn has blotted out our love : it cries to me for
vengeance. How may I speak of love with him who slew
my brother ? Listen ! ' she went on, looking on him side-
long, as one who wished to look and yet not seem to see :
' here thou must hide an hour, and, since thou wilt not sit in
silence, speak no tender words to me, for it is not fitting ; but
tell me of those deeds thou didst in the south lands over sea,
before thou wentcst to woo SwanhiM and cnmest hither to
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 247
kill my brother. For till then thou wast mine— till then I
loved thee — who now love thee not. Therefore I would
hear of the deeds of that Eric whom once I loved, before he
became as one dead to me.'
1 Heavy words, lady,' said Eric — ' words to make death
easy.'
' Speak not so,' she said ; ' it is unmanly thus to work upon
my fears. Tell me those tidings of which I ask.'
So Eric told her all his deeds, though he showed small
boastfulness about them. He told her how he had smitten
the war-dragons of Ospakar, how he had boarded the Eaven
and with Skallagrim slain those who sailed in her. He told
her also of his deeds in Ireland, and of how he took the viking
ships and came to London town.
And as he told, Gudruda listened as one who hung upon
her lover's dying words, and there was but one light in the
world for her, the light of Eric's eyes, and there was but one
music, the music of his voice. Now she looked upon him
sidelong no longer, but with open eyes and parted lips she
drank in his words, and always, though she knew it not her-
self, she crept closer to his side.
Then he told her how he had been greatly honoured of
the King of England, and of the battles he had fought in at
his side. Lastly, Eric told her how the King would have given
him a certain great lady of royal blood in marriage, and how
Edmund had been angered because he would not stay in
England.
' Tell me of this lady/ said Gudruda, quickly. * Is she
fair, and how is she named ? '
1 She is fair, and her name is Elfrida,' said Eric.
' And didst thou have speech with her on this matter ? '
' Somewhat.'
Now Gudruda drew herself away from Eric's side.
' What was the purport of thy speech ? ' she said, looking
down. ' Speak truly, Eric.'
'It came to little,' he answered. ' I told her that there
was one in Iceland to whom I was betrothed, and to Iceland I
must go.'
248 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
' And what said this Elfrida, then ? '
' She said that I should get little luck at the hands of
Gudruda the Fair. Moreover, she asked, should my betrothed
be faithless to me, or put me from her, if I should come again
to England.'
Now Gudruda looked him in the face and spoke. ' Say,
Eric, is it in thy mind to sail for England in the spring, if
thou canst escape thy foes so long ? '
Now Eric took counsel with himself, and in his love and
doubt grew guileful as he had never been before. For he
knew well that Gudruda had this weakness — she was a jealous
woman.
' Since thou dost put me from thee, that is in my mind,
lady,' he answered.
Gudruda heard. She thought on the great and beauteous
Lady Elfrida, far away in England, and of Eric walking at
her side, and sorrow took hold of her. She said no word, but
fixed her dark eyes on Brighteyes' face, and lo ! they filled
with tears.
Eric might not bear this sight, for his heart beat within
him as though it would burst the byrnie over it. Suddenly
he stretched out his arms and swept her to his breast. Soft
and sweet he kissed her, again and yet again, and she struggled
not, though she wept a little.
' It is small blame to me,' she whispered, ' if thou dost
hold me on thy breast and kiss me, for thou art more strong
than I. Bjorn must know this if his dead eyes see aught.
Yet for thee, Eric, it is the greatest shame of all thy shames.'
4 Talk not, my sweet ; talk not,' said Eric, ' but kiss thou
me : for thou knowest well that thou lovest me yet as I love
thee.'
Now the end of it was that Gudruda yielded and kissed
him whom she had not kissed for many years.
1 Loose me, Eric,' she said ; ' I would speak with thee,'
and he loosed her, though unwillingly.
' Hearken,' she went on, hiding her fair face in her hands :
' it is true that for life and death I love thee now as ever — how
much thou mayest never know. Though Bjorn be dead at
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 249
thy hands, yet I love thee ; but how I may wed thee and not
win the greatest shame, that I know not. I am sure of one
thing, that we may not bide here in Iceland. Now if, indeed,
thou lovest me, listen to my rede. Get thee back to Mosfell,
Eric, and sit there in safety through this winter, for they may
not come at thee yonder on Mosfell. Then, if thou art willing,
in the spring I will make ready a ship, for I have no ship now,
and, moreover, it is too late to sail. Then, perchance, leav-
ing all my lands and goods, I will take thy hand, Eric, and wo
will fare together to England, seeking such fortune as the
Norns may give us. What sayest thou ? '
' I say it is a good rede, and would that the spring were
come.'
' Ay, Eric, would that the spring were come. Our lot has
been hard, and I doubt much if things will go well with us
at the last. And now thou must hence, for presently the
serving-women will come to seek me. Guard thyself, Eric, as
thou lovest me — guard thyself, and beware of Swanhild ! '
Then once more they kissed soft and long, and Eric went.
But Gudruda sat a while behind the screen of reeds, and
was very happy for a space. For it was as though the winter
were past and summer shone upon her heart again.
250 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER XXVII
HOW GUD1UJDA WENT UP TO MOSFELL
ERIC walked warily till he came to the dell where he had left
Skallagrim and the horses. It was the same dell in which
Groa had brewed the poison-draught for Asmund the Priest
andUnna, Thorod's daughter.
' What news, lord ? ' said Skallagrim. ' Thou wast gone
so long that I thought of seeking thee. Hast thou seen
Gudruda?'
' Ay,' said Eric, ' and this is the upshot of it, that in the
spring we sail for England and bid farewell to Iceland and
our ill luck.'
k Would, then, that it were spring,' said Skallagrim, speak-
ing Brighteyes' own words. ' Why not sail now and make an
end ? '
' Gudruda has no ship and it is. late to take the sea. Also
I think that she would let a time go by because of the blood-
feud which she has against me for the death of Bjorn.'
' I would rather risk these things than stay the winter
through in Iceland,' said Skallagrim, ' it is long from now to
spring, and yon wolf's den is cold-lying in the dark months, as
I know well.'
' There is light beyond the darkness,' said Eric, and they
rode away. Everything went well with them till late at
night they came to the slopes of Mosfell. They were half
asleep on their horses, being weary with much riding, and
the horses were weary also. Suddenly Skallagrim, looking up,
caught the faint gleam of light from swords hidden behind
some stones.
?
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 251
' Awake, lord ! ' he cried, ' here are foes ahead.'
Gizur's folk behind the stones heard his voice and came
out from their ambush. There were six of them, and they
formed in line before the pair. They were watching the moun-
tain, for a rumour had reached them that Eric was abroad,
and, seeing him, they had hidden hastily behind the stones.
' Now what counsel shall we take ? ' said Eric, drawing
Whitefire.
' We have often stood against more men than six, and
sometimes we have left more me*n than six to mark where we
had stood,' answered Skallagrim. ' It is my counsel that wo
ride at them ! '
4 So be it,' said Eric, and spurred his weary horse with his
heels. Now when the six saw Eric and Skallagrim charge
on them boldly, they wavered, and the end of it was that they
broke and fled to either side before a blow was struck. For it
had come to this pass, so great was the terror of the names of
Eric Brighteyes and Skallagrim Lambstail, that no six men
dared to stand before them in open fight.
So the path being clear they rode on up the slope. But
when they had gone a little way, Skallagrim turned his horse,
and mocked those who had lain in ambush, saying :
' Ye fight well, ye carles of Gizur, Ospakar's son ! Ye are
heroes, surely ! Say now, mighty men, will ye stand there if
I come down alone against you ? '
At these words the men grew mad with wrath, and flung
their spears. Skallagrim caught one on his shield and it fell
the earth, but another passed over his head and struck Eric
on the left shoulder, near the neck, making a deep wound.
Feeling the spear fast in him, Eric grasped it with his right
hand, drew it forth and, turning, hurled it so hard, that the
man before it got his death from the blow, for his shield did
not serve to stay it. Then the rest fled.
Skallagrim bound up Eric's wound as well as he could,
and they went on to the cave. But when Eric's folk,
watching above, saw the fight they ran down and met him.
Now the hurt was bad and Eric bled much ; still, within
ten days it healed up for the time.
252 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
But a little while after Eric's wound was skinned over,
the snows set in on Mosfell, and the days grew short and the
nights long. Once Gizur's men to the number of fifty came
half way up the mountain to take it ; but, when they saw how
strong the place was, they feared, and went back, and after
that returned no more, though they always watched the fell.
It was very dark and lonesome there upon the fell. For
a while Eric kept in good heart, but as the days went by he
grew troubled. For since he was wounded this had come upon
him, that he feared the dark, and the death of Atli at his
hand and Atli's words weighed more and more upon his
mind. They had no candles on the fell, yet, rather than stay in
the blackness of the cave, Eric would wrap sheepskins about
him and sit by the edge of that gulf down which the head of
the Baresark had foretold his fall, and look out at the wide
plains and fells and ice-mountains, gleaming in the silver
shine of the Northern lights or in the white beams of the
stars.
It chanced that Eric had bidden the men who stayed
with him to build a stone hut upon the flat space of rock
before the cave, and to roof it with turves. He had done this
that work might keep them in heart, also that they might
have a place to store such goods as they had gathered. Now
there was one stone lying near that no two men of their
number could move, except Skallagrim and one other. One
day, while it was light, Eric watched these two rolling the
stone along to where it must stand, and it was slow work.
Presently they stayed to rest. Then Eric came and putting
his hands beneath the stone, lifted, and while men wondered,
he rolled the mass alone, to where it should be set as the corner
stone of the hut.
' Ye are all children,' he said, and laughed merrily.
* Ay, when we set our strength against thine, lord,' answered
Skallagrim ; ' but look : the blood runs from thy neck — the
spear-wound has broken out afresh.'
' So it is, surely,' said Eric. Then he washed the wound
and bound it up, thinking little of the matter.
But that night, according to his custom, Eric sat on the
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 25?
edge of the gulf and looked at the winter lights as they played
over Hecla's snows. He was sad and heavy at heart, for he
thought of Gudruda and wondered much if they should live to
wed. Remembering Atli's words, he had little faith in his good
luck. Now as Eric sat and thought, the bandage on his neck
slipped, so that the hurt bled, and the frost got hold of the
wound and froze it, and froze his long hair to it also, in such
fashion that when he went to the cave where all men slept,
he could not loose his hair from the sore, but lay down
with it frozen to him. On the morrow the hair was caked so
fast about his neck that it could only be freed by shearing
it. But this Eric would not suffer. None, he said, should
shear his hair, except Gudruda. Thus he had sworn, and
when he broke the oath misfortune had come of it. He would
break that vow no more, if it cost him his life. For sorrow and
his ill luck had taken so great a hold of Eric's mind that in
some ways he was scarcely himself.
So it came to pass that he fell more and more sick, till
at length he could not rise from his bed in the cave, but
lay there all day and night, staring at the little light which
pierced the gloom. Still, he would not suffer that anyone
should touch his hair. And when one stole upon him sleeping,
thinking so to cut it before he woke, and come at the wound,
suddenly he sat up and dealt the man such a buffet on the
head that he went near to death from it.
Then Skallagrim spoke.
' On this matter,' he said, ' it seems that Brighteyes is
mad. He will not suffer that any touch his hair, except
Gudruda, and yet, if his hair is not shorn, he must die, for the
wound will fester under it. Nor may we cut it by strength,
for then he will kill himself in struggling. It is come to this
then : either Gudruda must be brought hither or Eric wrill
shortly die.'
' That may not be,' they answered. ' How can the lady
Gudruda come here across the snows, even if she will come ?
'Come she can, if she has the heart,' said Skallagrim,
' though I put little trust in women's hearts. Still, I ride down
to Middalhof, and thou, Jon, shalt go with me. For the rest,
254 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
I charge you watch your lord ; for, if I come back and find
anything amiss, that shall be the death of some, and if I do
not come back but perish on the road, yet I will haunt you.'
Now Jon liked not this task ; still, for love of Eric ji.r.d
fear of Skallagrim he set out with the Baresark. They had
a hard journey through the snow-drifts and the dark, but on
the third day they came to Middalhof, knocked upon the door
and entered.
Now it was supper-time, and people, sitting at meat, saw
a great black man, covered with snow and rime, stalk up the
hall, and after him another smaller man, who groaned with
the cold, and they wondered at the sight. Gudruda sat on the
high seat and the firelight beat upon her face.
* Who comes here ? ' she said.
' One who would speak with thee, lady,' answered
Skallagrim.
' Here is Skallagrim the Baresark,' said a man. * He is
an outlaw, let us kill him ! '
' Ay, it is Skallagrim,' he answered, ' and if there is kill-
ing to be done, why here's that which shall do it,' and he
drew out his axe and smiled grimly.
Then all held their peace, for they feared the axe of
Skallagrim.
'Lady,' he said, * I do not come for slaying or such child's
play, I come to speak a word in thine ear— but first I ask a
cup of mead and a morsel of food, for we have spent three
days in the snows.'
So they ate and drank. Then Gudruda bade the Baresark
draw near and tell her his tale,
'Lady,' said he, 'Eric, my lord, lies dying on Mosfell.'
Gudruda turned white as the snow.
'Dying?— Eric lies dying?' she said. 'Why, then, art
them here ? '
' For this cause, lady : I think that them canst save him, if
he is not already sped.' And he told her all the tale.
Now Gudruda thought a while.
' This is a hard journey,' she said, 'and it does not become
a maid to visit outlaws in their caves. Yet I am come to this,
ERIC BR1GHTEYES
235
that I will die before I shrink from anything that may save
tho life of Eric. When must we ride, Bkallagrim ? '
' This night,' said the Baresark. 'This night while men
sleep, for now night and day are almost the same. The snow
is deep and we have no time to lose if we would find Bright-
eyes living.'
1 Then we will ride to-night,' answered Gudruda.
Afterwards, when people slept, Gudruda the Fair sum-
moned her women, and bade them say to all who asked for
her that she lay sick in bed. But she called three trusty thralls,
bidding them bring two pack-horses laden with hay, food,
drugs, candles made of sheep's fat, and other goods, and ride
HIDING OVER THE SNOWS.
with her. Then, all being ready, they rode away secretly up
Stonefell, Gudruda on her horse Blackmane, and the others
on good geldings that had been hay-fed in the yard, and by
daylight they passed up Horse-Head Heights. They slept
two nights in the snow, and on the second night almost
perished there, for much soft snow fell. But afterwards
came frost and a bitter northerly wind and they passed on.
Gudruda was a strong woman and great of heart and will,
and so it came about that on the third day she reached
Mosfell, weary but little harmed, though the fingers of her left
hand were frostbitten. They climbed the mountain, and when
they came to the dell where tho horses were kept, certain of
Eric's men met them and their faces were sad.
4 How goes it now with Brighteyes ? ' said Skallagrim, for
256 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Gudruda could scarcely speak because of doubt and cold. ' Is
he dead, then ? '
* Nay,' they answered, ' but like to die, for he is beside
himself and raves wildly.'
' Push on,' quoth Gudruda ; ' push on, lest it be too late.'
So they climbed the mountain on foot, won the pass and
came to that giddy point of rock where he must tread who
would reach the platform that is before the cave. Now since
she had hung by her hands over Goldfoss gulf, Gudruda
had feared to tread upon a height with nothing to hold
to. Skallagrim went first, then called to her to follow.
Thrice she looked, and turned away, trembling, for the place
was awful and the fall bottomless. Then she spoke aloud to
herself :
' Eric did not fear to risk his life to save me when I hung
over Golden Falls; less, then, should I fear to risk mine
to save him,' and she stepped boldly down upon the point.
But when she stood there, over the giddy height, shivers ran
along her body, and her mind grew dark. She clutched at
the rock, gave one low cry and began to fall. Indeed she
would have fallen and been lost, had not Skallagrim, lying on
his breast in the narrow hole, stretched out his 'arms, caught
her by the cloak and kirtle and dragged her to him. Presently
her senses came back.
' I am safe ! ' she gasped, ' but by a very little. Methinka
that here in this place I must live and die, for I can never
tread yonder rock again.'
' Thou shalt pass it safe enough, lady, with a rope round
thee,' said Skallagrim, and led the way to the cave.
Gudruda entered, forgetting all things in her love of Eric.
A great fire of turf burned in the mouth of the cave to temper
the bitter wind and frost, and by its light Gudruda saw her
love through the smoke -reek. He lay upon a bed of skins at
the far end of the cave and his bright grey eyes were wild,
his wan face was white, and now of a sudden it grew red with
fever, and then was white again. He had thrown the sheep-
skins from his mighty chest, the bones of which stood out
grimly. His long arms were thrust through the locks of
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 257
his golden hair, and on one side of his neck the hair clung to
him and it was but a black mass.
He raved loudly in his madness. * Touch me not, carles,
touch me not ; ye think me spent and weak, but, by Thor ! if ye
touch my hair, I will loosen the knees of some. Gudruda
alone shall shear my hair : I have sworn and I will keep the
oath that I once broke. Give me snow ! snow ! my throat
burns ! Heap snow on my head, I bid you. Ye will not ? Ye
mock me, thinking me weak ! Where, then, is Whitefire ? —
I have yet a deed to do ! Who comes yonder ? Is it a woman's
shape or is it but a smoke-wraith '? 'Tis Swanhild the Father-
less who walks the waters. Begone, Swanhild, thou witch !
thou hast worked evil enough upon me. Nay, it is not Swan-
hild, it is Elfrida; lady, here in England I may not stay. In
Iceland I am at home. Yea, yea, things go crossly ; perchance
in this garden we may speak again ! '
Now Gudruda could bear his words no longer, but ran to
him and knelt beside him.
* Peace, Eric! ' she whispered. ' Peace ! I4 is I, thy love.
It is Gudruda, who am come to thee.'
He turned his head and looked upon her strangely.
'No, no,' he said, ' it is not Gudruda the Fair. She will
have little to do with outlaws, and this is too rough a place
for her to come to. It is dark also and Atli speaks in the
darkness. If thou art Gudruda, give me a sign. Why comest
thou here and where is Skallagrim? Ah! that was a good
fight-
Down amongst the ballast tumbling
Ospakar's shield-carles were rolled.
But he should never have slain the steersman. The axe
goes first and Skallagrim follows after. Ha, ha! Ay,
Swanhild, we'll mingle tears ! Give me the cup. Why,
what is this ? Thou art afire, a glory glows about thee, and
from thee floats a scent like the scent of the Iceland meads
in May.'
' Kric ! Eric! ' cried Gudruda, ' I am come to shear thy
hair, as thou didst swear that I alone should do.'
* Now I know that thou art Gudruda,' said the cra/rd
s
258 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
man. ' Cut, cut ; but let not those knaves touch my head,
lest I should slay them.'
Then Gudruda drew out her shears, and without more
ado shore off Brighteyes' golden locks. It was no easy
task, for they were thick as a horse's mane, and glued
to the wound. Yet when she had cut them, she loosened
the hair from the flesh with water which she heated upon the
fire. The wound was in a bad state and blue, still Eric never
winced while she dragged the hair from it. Then she washed
the sore clean, and put sweet ointment on it and covered
it with napkins.
This done, she gave Eric broth and he drank. Then,
laying her hand upon his head, she looked into his eyes and
bade him sleep. And presently he slept — which he had
scarcely done for many days — slept like a little child.
Eric slept for a day and a night. But at that same hour
of the evening, when he had fallen asleep, Gudruda, watching
him by the light of a taper that was set upon a rock, saw
him smile in his' dreams. Presently he opened his eyes and
stared at the fire which glowed in the mouth of the cave,
and the great shadows that fell upon the rocks.
4 Strange ! ' she heard him murmur, it is very strange ! but
I dreamed I slept, and that Gudruda the Fair leaned over me as
I slept. Where, then, is Skallagrim ? Perhaps I am dead
and that is Hela's fire,' and he tried to lift himself upon his
arm, but fell back from faintness, for he was very weak.
Then Gudruda took his hand, and, leaning over him, spoke :
' Hush, Eric ! ' she said ; ' that was no dream, for I am here.
Thou hast been sick to death, Eric ; but now, if thou wilt
rest, things shall go well with thee.'
' Thou art here ? ' said Erip, turning his white face
towards her. ' Do I still dream, or how earnest thou here to
Mosfell, Gudruda ? '
' I came through the snows, Eric, to cut thy hair, which
clung to the festering wound, for in thy madness thou wouldst
not suffer anyone to touch it.'
' Thou earnest through the snows— over the snows — to
nurse me, Gudruda ? Thou must love me much then,' and
Drew forth her shears.'
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 259
he was so weak that, as he spoke, the tears rolled down
Eric's cheeks.
Then Gudruda kissed him, weeping also, and, laying her
face by his, bade him be at peace, for she was there to watch
him.
s2
260 ERIC BR1GHTEYES
CHAPTER XXVIII
HOW SWANHILD WON TIDINGS OF EKIC
Now Eric's strength came back to him and his heart opened
in the light of Gudruda's eyes like a flower in the sunshine.
For all day long she sat at his side, holding his hand and
talking to him, and they found much to say.
But on the fifth day from the day of his awakening she
spoke thus :
' Eric, now I must go back to Middalhof. Thou art safe
and it is not well that I should stay here.'
1 Not yet, Gudruda,' he said ; ' leave me not yet.'
' Yes, love, I must leave thee. The moon is bright, the
sky has cleared, and the snow is hard with frost and fit for
the hoofs of horses. I must go before more storms come.
Listen now : in the second week of spring, if all is well, I
will send thee a messenger with words of token, then shalt
thou come down secretly to Middalhof, arkl there, Eric, we
will be wed. Then, on the next day, we will sail for England
in a trading- ship that I shall get ready, to seek our fortune
there.'
' It will be a good fortune if thou art by my^slde,' said
Eric, ' so good that I doubt greatly if I may find it, for I am
Eric the Unlucky. Swanhild must yet be reckoned with,
Gudruda. Yes, thou art right : thou must go hence, Gud-
ruda, and swiftly, though it grieves me much to part with
thee.'
Then Eric called Skallagrim and bade him make things
ready to ride down to Middalhof with the Lady Gudruda.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 261
This Skallagrim did swiftly, and afterwards Eric and Gud-
ruda kissed and parted, and they were sad at heart to part.
Now on the fifth day after the going of Gudruda, Skalla-
grim came back to Mosfell somewhat cold and weary. And
he told Eric, who could now walk and grew strong again,
that he and Jon had ridden with Gudruda the Fair to
Horse-Head Heights, seeing no man, and had left her there
to go on with her thralls. He had come back also seeing no
one, for the weather was too cold for the men of Gizur to
watch the fell in the snows.
Now Gudruda came safely to Middalhof, having been
eleven days gone, and found that few had visited the house,
and that these had been told that she lay sick abed. Her
secret had been well kept, and, though Swanhild had no lack
of spies, many days went by before she learned that Gud-
ruda had gone up to Mosfell to nurse Eric.
After this Gudruda began to make ready for her flight
from Iceland. She called in the moneys that she had out at
interest, and with them bought from a certain chapman a
good trading- ship which lay in its shed under the shelter of
Westmaii Isles. This ship she began to make ready for sea so
soon as the heart of the winter was broken, putting it about
that she intended to send her on a trading voyage to Scot-
land in the spring. And to give colour to this tale she bought
many pelts and other goods, such as chapmen deal in.
Thus the days passed on — not so badly for Gudruda, who
strove to fill their emptiness in making ready for the full and
happy time ; but for Eric in his cave they were very heavy,
for he could find nothing to do except to sleep and eat, and
think of Gudruda, whom he might not see.
For Swanhild also, sitting at Coldback, the days did not
go well. She was weary of the courting of Gizur, whom she
played with as a cat plays with a rat, and her heart was
sick with love, hate, and jealousy. For she well know that
Gudruda and Eric still clung to each other and found UK 'in is
of greeting, if not of speech. At that time slu; wished to
kill Eric if she could, though she would rather kill Gudruda
262 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
if she dared. Still, she could not come at Eric, for her men
feared to try the narrow way of Mosfell, and when they met
him in the open they fled before him.
Presently it came to her ears that Gudruda made a ship
ready to sail to Scotland on a trading voyage, and she
was perplexed by this tale, for she knew that Gudruda had
no love of trading and never thought of gain. So she set
spies to watch the ship. Still, the slow days drew on, and at
length the air grew soft with spring, and flowers showed
through the snow.
Eric sat in his mountain nest waiting for tidings, and
watched the nesting eagles wheel about the cliffs. At length
news came. For one morning, as he rose, Skallagrim told
him that a man wished to speak with him. He had come to
the mountain in the darkness, and had lain in a dell till the
breaking of the light, for, now that the snows were melting,
the men of Gizur and Swanhild watched the pathways.
Eric bade them bring the man to him. When he saw
him he knew that he was a thrall of Gudruda's, and welcomed
him heartily.
' What tidings ? ' he asked.
* This, lord,' said the thrall : ' Gudruda the Fair bids me
say that she is well and that the snows melt on the roof of
Middalhof.'
Now this was the signal word that had been agreed upon
between Eric and Gudruda, that she should send him when
all was ready.
' Good,' said Eric, ' ride back to Gudruda the Fair and
say that Eric Brighteyes is well, but on Hecla the snows
melt not.'
By tins answer he meant that he would be with her pre-
sently, though the thrall could make nothing of it. Then Skal-
lagrim asked tidings of the man, and learned that Swanhild
was still at Middalhof, and with her Gizur, and that they
gave out that they wished to make an end of waiting and
slay Eric.
' First snare your bird, then wring his neck,' laughed
Skallagrim.
ERIC B RIGHTS YES 263
Then Eric did this : among his men were some who he
knew were not willing to sail from Iceland, and Jon, his
thrall, was of them, for Jon did not love the angry sea. He
bade these bide a while on Mosfell and make fires nightly on
the platform of rock which is in front of the cave, that the spies
of Gizur and Swanhild might be deceived by them, and think
that Eric was still on the fell. Then, when they heard that he
had sailed, they were to come down and hide themselves
with friends till Gizur and his following rode north. But he
told two of the men who would sail with him to make ready.
That night before the moon rose Eric said farewell
to Jon and the others who stayed on Mosfell, and rode
away with Skallagrim and the two who went with him.
They passed the plain of black sand in safety, and so on to
Horse-Head Heights. Now at length, as the afternoon drew
on to evening, from Stonefell's crest they saw the Hall of
Middalhof before them, and Eric's heart swelled in his breast.
Yet they must wait till darkness fell before they dared enter
the place, lest they should be seen and notice of their
coming should be carried to Gizur and Swanhild. And this
came into the mind of Eric, that of all the hours of his life
that hour of waiting was the longest. Scarcely, indeed, could
Skallagrim hold him back from going down the mountain
side, he was so set on coming to Gudruda whom he should
wed that night.
At length the darkness fell, and they went on. Eric rode
swiftly down the rough mountain path, while Skallagrim and
the two men followed grumbling, for they feared that their
horses would fall. At length they came to the place, and
riding into the yard, Eric sprang from his horse and strode to
the women's door. Now Gudruda stood in the porch, listening ;
and while he was yet some way off, she heard the clang of
Biighteyen's harness, and the colour came and went upon
her cheek. Then she turned and fled to the high seat of
the hall, and sat down there. Only two women were left
in Middalhof with her, and some thralls who tended the
kine and horses. But these slept, not in the hall, but in an
outhouse. Gudruda had sent the rest of her people down to
264 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
the ship to help in the lading, for it was given out that
the vessel sailed on the morrow. She had done this that
there might be no talk of the coming of Eric to Middalhof.
Now Brighteyes came to the porch, and, finding the door
wide, walked in. But Skallagrim and the men stayed without
a while, and tended the horses. A fire burned upon the
centre hearth in the hall, and threw shadows on the panel-
ing. Eric walked on by its light, looking to left and right,
but seeing neither man nor woman. Then a great fear took
him lest Gudruda should be gone, or perhaps slain of Swan-
hild, Groa's daughter, and he trembled at the thought.
He stood by the fire, and Gudruda, watching from the
shadow of the high seat, saw the dull light glow upon his
golden helm, and a sigh of joy broke from her lips. Eric
heard the sigh and looked, and as he looked a stick of pitchy
drift-wood fell into the fire and flared up fiercely. Then he
saw. There, in the carved high seat, robed all in bridal white,
sat Gudruda the Fair, his love. Her golden hair flowed about
her breast, her white arms were stretched towards him, and on
her sweet face shone such a look of love as he had never seen.
' Eric ! ' she whispered softly, and the breath of her voice
ran down the empty paneled hall, that from all sides seemed
to answer, ' Eric.'
Slowly he drew near to her. He saw nothing but the
glory of Gudruda's face and the light shining on Gudnula's
hair ; he heard nothing save the sighing of her breath ; he
knew nothing except that before him sat his fair bride, won
after many years.
Now he had climbed the high seat, and now, wrapped in
each other's arms, they sat and gazed into each other's eyes,
and lo ! the air of the great hall rolled round them a sea of
glory, and sweet voices whispered in their ears. Now Freya
smiled upon them and led them through her gates of love,
and they were glad that they had been born.
Thus then they were wed.
Now the story tells that Swanhild spoke with Gizur,
Ospakar's son, in the house at Coldback.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 265
' I tire of this slow play,' she said. * We have tarried here
for many weeks, and Atli's blood yet cries out for vengeance,
and cries for vengeance the blood of black Ospakar, thy
father, and the blood of many another, dead at great Eric's
hand.'
' I tire also,' said Gizur, ' and I am much needed in the
north. I say this to thee, Swanhild, that, hadst thou not so
strictly laid it on me that Eric must die ere thouweddest me,
I had flitted back to Swinefell before now, and there bided
my time to bring Brighteyes to his end.'
' I will never wed thee, Gizur, till Eric is dead,' said
Swanhild fiercely.
' How shall we come at him then ? ' he answered. ' We
may not go up that mountain path, for two men can hold it
against all our strength, and folk do not love to meet Eric and
Skallagrim in a narrow way.'
' The place has been badly watched,' said Swanhild. ' I am
sure of this, that Eric has been down to Middalhof and seen
Giidriula, my half-sister. She is shameless, who still holds
commune with him who slew her brother and my husband.
Death should be her reward, and I am minded to slay
her because of the shame that she has brought upon our
blood.'
* That is a deed which thou wilt do alone, then,' said Gizur,
' for I will have no hand in the murder of that fair maid — no
nor will any who live in Iceland ! '
Swanhild glanced at him strangely. ' Hearken, Gizur ! '
she said : ' Gudruda makes a ship ready to sail Avith goods to
Scotland and bring a cargo thence before winter comes ti^uin.
Now I find this strange, for never before did I know Gudruda
turn her thoughts to trading. I think that she has it in
her mind to sail from Iceland with this outlaw Eric, and seek
a home over seas, and that I will not bear.'
' It may be,' said Gizur, ' and I should not be sorry to
see the last of Brighteyes, for I think that more men will
die at his hand before he stiffens in his barrow.'
' Thou art cowardly-hearted, thou son of Ospakar ! ' Swan-
hild said. * Thou sayest thou lovest me and wouldest win me to
266 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
wife : I tell thee that there is but one road to my arms, and
it leads over the corpse of Eric. Now this is my counsel :
that we send the most of our men to watch that ship of Gud-
ruda's, and, when she lifts anchor, to board her and search,
for she is already bound for sea. Also among the people here
I have a carle who was born near Hecla, and he swears
this to me, that, when he was a lad, searching for an eagle's
eyrie, he found a path by which Mosfell might be climbed
from the north, and that in the end he came to a large flat
place, and, looking over, saw that platform where Eric dwells
with his thralls. But he could not see the cave, because of the
overhanging brow of the rock. Now we will do this : thou and
I, and the carle alone— no more, for I do not wish that our
search should be noised abroad — to-morrow at the dawn we
will ride away for Mosfell, and, passing under Hecla, come
round the mountain and see if this path may still be scaled.
For, if so, we will return with men and make an end of
Brighteyes.'
This plan pleased Gizur, and he said that it should be so.
So very early on the following morning Swanhild, having
sent many men to watch Gudruda's ship, rode away secretly
with Gizur and the thrall, and before it was again dawn they
were on the northern slopes of Mosfell. It was on this same
night that Eric went down from the mountain to wed Gud-
ruda.
For a while the climbing was easy, but at length they
came to a great wall of rock, a hundred fathoms high,
on which no fox might find a foothold, nor anything that had
not wings.
' Here now is an end of our journey,' said Gizur, ' and I
only pray this, that Eric may not ride round the mountain
before we are down again.' For he did not know that Bright-
eyes already rode hard for Middalhof.
'Not so,' said the thrall, 'if only I can find the place
by which, some thirty summers ago, I won yonder rift, and
through it the crest of the fell,' and he pointed to a narrow
cleft in the face of the rock high above their heads, that was
clothed with grey moss.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 267
Then he moved to the right and searched, peering behind
stones and birch-bushes, till presently he held up his hand
and whistled. They passed along the slope and found him
standing by a little stream of water which welled from beneath
a great rock.
' Here is the place,' the man said.
4 1 see no place,' answered Swanhild.
' Still, it is there, lady,' and he climbed on to the rock,
drawing her after him. At the back of it was a hole, al-
most overgrown with moss. ' Here is the path,' he said
again.
' Then it is one that I have no mind to follow,' answered
Swanhild. ' Gizur, go thou with the man and see if his tale
is true. I will stay here till ye come back.'
Then the thrall let himself down into the hole and Gizur
went after him. But Swanhild sat there in the shadow of
the rock, her chin resting on her hand, and waited. Presently,
as she sat, she saw two men ride round the base of the fell,
and strike off to the right towards a turf -booth which stood the
half of an hour's ride away. Now Swanhild was the keenest-
sighted of all women of her day in Iceland, and when she
looked at these two men she knew one of them for Jon, Eric's
thrall, and she knew the horse also— it was a white horse with
black patches, that Jon had ridden for many years. She
watched them go till they came to the booth, and it seemed
to her that they left their horses there and entered.
Swanhild waited upon the side of the fell for nearly two
hours in all. Then, hearing a noise above her, she looked up,
and there, black with dirt and wet with water, was Gizur, and
with him was the thrall.
' What luck, Gizur ? ' she asked.
' This, Swanhild : Eric may hold Mosfell no more, for we
have found a way to bolt the fox.'
' That is good news, then,' said Swanhild. ' Say on.'
' Yonder hole, Swanhild, leads to the cleft above, having
been cut through the cliff by fire, or perhaps by water. Now up
that cleft a man may climb, though hardly, as by a diflicult
stair, till he comes to the flat crest of the fell. Then, crossing
268 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
the crest, on the further side, perhaps six fathoms below
him, he sees that space of rock where is Eric's cave ; but ho
cannot see the cave itself, because the brow of the cliff hangs
over. And so it is that, if any come from the cave on to the
space of rock, it will be an easy matter to roll stones upon
them from above and crush them.'
Now when Swanhild heard this she laughed aloud.
' Eric shall mock us no more,' she said, ' and his might
can avail nothing against rocks rolled on him from above.
Let us go back to Coldback and summon men to make an end
of Brighteyes.'
So they went on down the mountain till they came to the
place where they had hidden their horses. Then Swanhild
remembered Jon and the other man whom she had seen
riding to the booth, and she told Gizur of them.
' Now,' she said, ' we will snare these birds, and perchance
they will twitter tidings when we squeeze them.'
So they turned and rode for the booth, and drawing near,
they saw the two horses grazing without. Now they got off
their horses, and creeping up to the booth, looked in through
the door which was ajar. And they saw this, that one man sat
on the ground with his back io^ the door, eating stock-fish,
while Jon made bundles of fish and meal ready to tie on the
horses. For it was here that those of his quarter who loved
Eric brought food to be carried by his men to the cave on
Mosfell.
Now Swanhild touched Gizur on the arm, pointing first to
the man who sat eating the fish and then to the spear in
Gizur's hand. Gizur thought a while, for he shrank from this
deed.
Then Swanhild whispered in his ear, ' Slay the man and
seize the other ; I would learn tidings from him.1
So Gizur cast the spear, and it passed through the man's
heart, and he was dead at once. Then he and the thrall
leapt into the booth and threw themselves on Jon, hurling
him to the ground, and holding swords over him. Now Jon
was a man of small heart, and when he saw his plight and
his fellow dead he was afraid, and prayed for mercy.
ERIC BIUGHTEYES 269
' If I spare thee, knave,' said Swanhild, ' tliou shalt do
this : thou shalt lead me up Mosfell to speak with Eric.'
' I may not do that, lady,' groaned Jon ; * for Eric is not
on Mosfell.'
' Where is he, then ? ' asked Swanhild.
Now Jon saw that he had said an unlucky thing, and
answered :
* Nay, I know not. Last night he rode from Mosfell with
Skallagrim Lambstail.'
' Thou liest, knave,' said Swanhild. ' Speak, or thou
shalt be slain.'
' Slay on,' groaned Jon, glancing at the swords above
him, and shutting his eyes. For, though he feared much to
die, he had no will to make known Eric's plans.
' Look not at the swords ; thou shalt not die so easily.
Hearken : speak, and speak truly, or thou shalt seek Hela's
lap after this fashion,' and, bending down, she whispered in
his ear, then laughed aloud.
Now Jon grew faint with fear ; his lips turned blue, and
his teeth chattered at the thought of how he should be made
to die. Still, he would say nothing.
Then Swanhild spoke to Gizur and the thrall, and bade
them bind him with a rope, tear the garments from him, and
bring snow. They did this, and pushed the matter to the
drawing of knives. But when he saw the steel Jon cried
aloud that he would tell all.
' Now thou takest good counsel,' said Swanhild.
Then in his fear Jon told how Eric had gone down to
Middalhof to wed Gudruda, and thence to fly with her to
England.
Now Swanhild was mad with wrath, for she had sooner
died than that this should come about.
'Let us away,' she said to Gizur. 'But first kill this
man.'
' Nay,' said Gizur, ' I will not do that. He has told
his tidings ; let him go free.'
'Thou art chicken-hearted,' said Swanhild, who, after tho
fashion of witches, had no mercy in her. * At the least, he
270
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
shall not go hence to warn Eric and Gudruda of our coming.
If thou wilt not kill him, then bind him and leave him.'
So Jon was bound, and there in the booth he sat two
days before anyone came to loose him.
' Whither away ? ' said Gizur to Swanhild.
' To Middalhof first,' Swanhild answered.
JON BOUND
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
ill
CHAPTER XXIX
HOW WENT THE BRIDAL NIGHT
OW Eric and Gud-
ruda sat silent in
the high seat of the
hall at Middalhof
till they heard Skal-
lagrim enter by the
women's door. Then
they came down
from the high seat,
and stood hand in
hand by the fire on
the hearth. Skalla-
grim greeted Gud-
ruda, looking
at her askance,
for Skallagrim
stood in fear of
women alone.
' What counsel now, lord ? ' said the Baresark.
' Tell us thy plans, Gudruda,' said Eric, for as yet no
word had passed between them of what they should do.
' This is my plan, Eric,' she answered. ' First, that we
eat; then that thy men take horse and ride hence through
the night to where the ship lies, bearing word that we will be
there at dawn when the tide serves, and bidding the mate
make everything ready for sailing. But thou and I and
Skallagrim will stay here till to-morrow is three hours old,
272 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
and this because I have tidings that Gizur's folk will search
the ship to-night- Now, when they search and do not find us,
they will go away. Then, at the dawning, them and I and
Skallagrim will row on board the ship as she lies at anchor,
and, slipping the cable, put to sea before they know we are
there, and so bid farewell to Swanhild and our woes.'
* Yet it is a risk for us to sleep here alone,' said Eric.
' There is little danger,' said Gudruda. ' Nearly all of
Gizur's men watch the ship ; and I have learned this from a
spy, that, two days ago, Gizur, Swanhild, and one thrall rode
from Coldback towards Mosfell, and they have not come back
yet. Moreover, the place is strong, and thou and Skallagrim
are here to guard it.'
' So be it, then,' answered Eric, for indeed he had little
thought left for anything, except Gudruda.
After this the women came in and set meat on the board,
and all ate.
Now, when they had eaten, Eric bade Skallagrim fill a
cup, and bring it to him as he sat on the high seat with
Gudruda. Skallagrim did so ; and then, looking deep into
each other's eyes, Eric Brighteyes and Gudruda the Fair,
Asmund's daughter, drank the bride's cup.
' There are few guests to grace our marriage-feast,
husband,' said Gudruda.
' Yet shall our vows hold true, wife,' said Eric.
' Ay, Brighteyes,' she answered, ' in life and in death, now
and for ever ! ' and they kissed.
' It is time for us to be going, methinks,' growled Skalla-
grim to those about him. ' We are not wanted here.'
Then the men who were to go on to the ship rose, fetched
their horses, and rode away. Also they caught the horses of
Skallagrim, Eric, and Gudruda, saddled them, and, slipping
their bridles, made them fast in a shed in the yard, giving
them hay to eat. Afterwards Skallagrim barred the men's
door and the women's door, and, going to Gudruda, asked
where he should stay the night till it was time to ride for the
sea.
' In the store-chamber,' she answered, ' for there is a
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 273
shutter of which the latch has gone. See that thou watch it
well, Skallagrim ; though I think none will come to trouble
thee.'
' I know the place. It shall go badly with tke head that
looks through yonder hole,' said Skallagrim, glancing at his
axe.
Now Gudruda forgot this, that in the store-chamber were
casks of strong ale.
Then Gudruda told him to wake them when the morrow
was two hours old, for Eric had neither eyes nor words except
for Gudruda alone, and Skallagrim went.
The women went also to their shut bed at the end of the
hall, leaving Brighteyes and Gudruda alone. Eric looked
at her.
' Where do I sleep to-night ? ' he asked.
' Thou sleepest with me, husband,' she answered soft, • for
nothing, except Death, shall come between us any more.'
Now Skallagrim went to the store-room, and sat down
with his back against a cask. His heart was heavy in him, for
he boded no good of this marriage. Moreover, he was jealous.
Skallagrim loved but one thing in the world truly, and that
was Eric Brighteyes, his lord. Now he knew that henceforth
he must take a second place, and that for one thought which
Eric gave to him, he would give ten to Gudruda. Therefore
Skallagrim was very sad at heart.
' A pest upon the women ! ' he said to himself, * for from
them comes all evil. Brighteyes owres his ill luck to Swanhild
and this fair wife of his, and that is scarcely done with
yet. Well, well, 'tis nature ; but would that we were safe
at sea ! Had I my will, we had not slept here to-night.
But they are newly wed, and— well, 'tis nature ! Better
the bride loves to lie abed than to ride the cold wolds and
seek the common deck.'
Now, as Skallagrim grumbled, fear gathered in his heart,
he knew not of what. He began to think on trolls and goblins.
It was dark in the store-room, except for a little line of light
that crept through the crack of the shutter. At length he could
274 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
bear the darkness and his thoughts no longer, but, rising,
threw the shutter wide and let the bright moonlight pour
into the chamber, whence he could see the hillside behind,
and watch the shadows of the clouds as they floated across
it. Again Skallagrim sat down against his cask, and
as he sat it moved, and he heard the wash of ale in-
side it.
' That is a good sound,' said Skallagrim, and he turned
and smelt at the cask ; ' aye, and a good smell, too ! We
tasted little ale yonder on Mosfell, and we shall find less at
sea.' Again he looked at the cask. There was a spigot in it,
and lo ! on the shelf stood horn cups.
' It surely is on draught,' he said ; * and now it will stand
till it goes sour. 'Tis a pity ; but I will not drink. I fear ale—
ale is another man ! No, I will not drink,' and all the while
his hand went up to the cups upon the shelf. ' Eric is better
laid yonder in Gudruda's chamber than I am here alone with
evil thoughts and trolls,' he said. ' Why, what fish was that
we ate at supper ? My throat is cracked with thirst ! If there
were water now I'd drink it, but I see none. Well, one cup
to wish them joy ! There is no harm in a cup of ale,' and
he drew the spigot from the cask and watched the brown
drink flow into the cup. Then he lifted it to his lips and
drank, saying ' Skoll ! skoll ! ' l nor did he cease till the
horn was drained. ' This is wondrous good ale,' said Skalla-
grim as he wiped his grizzled beard. ' One more cup, and evil
thoughts shall cease to haunt me.'
Again he filled, drank, sat down, and for a while was
merry. But presently the black thoughts came back into his
mind. He rose, looked through the shutter-hole to the hill-
side. He could see nothing on it except the shadows of the
clouds.
' Trolls walk the winds to-night,' he said. ' I feel them
pulling at my beard. One more cup to frighten them.'
He drank another draught of ale and grew merry. Then ale
called for ale, and Skallagrim drained cup on cup, singing as
1 'Health! health 1 '
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 275
he drained, till at last heavy sleep overcame him, and he sank
drunken on the ground there by the barrel, while the brown
ale trickled round him.
Now Eric Brighteyes and Gudruda the Fair slept side by
side, locked in each other's arms. Presently Gudruda was
wide awake.
' Bouse thee, Eric,' she said, ' I have dreamed an evil
dream.'
He awoke and kissed her.
' What, then, was thy dream, sweet ? ' he said. ' This is no
hour for bad dreams.'
' No hour for bad dreams, truly, husband ; yet dreams do not
weigh the hour of their coming. I dreamed this : that I lay
dead beside thee and thou knewest it not, while Swanhild
looked at thee and mocked.'
I An evil dream, truly,' said Eric ; ' but see, thou art
not dead. Thou hast thought too much on Swanhild of
late.'
Now they slept once more, till presently Eric was wide-
awake.
' House thee, Gudruda,' he said, ' I too have dreamed a
dream, and it is full of evil.'
' What, then, was thy dream, husband ? ' she asked.
I 1 dreamed that Atli the Earl, whom I slew, stood by the
bed. His face was white, and white as snow was his beard,
and blood from his great wound ran down his byrnie. " Eric
Brighteyes," he said, " I am he whom thou didst slay, and I
come to tell thee this : that before the moon is young again
thou shalt lie stiff, with Hell-shoon on thy feet. Thou art
Eric the Unlucky ! Take thy joy and say thy say to her who
lies at thy side, for wet and cold is the bed that waits theo
and soon shall thy white lips be dumb." Then he was gone,
and lo ! in his place stood Asmund, thy father, and he also
spoke to me, saying, " Thou who dost lie in my bed and at
my daughter's side, know this : the words of Atli are true ;
but I add these to them : ye shall die, yet is death but the
gate of life and love and rest," and he was gone.'
T2
276 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Now Gudruda shivered with fear, and crept closer to Eric's
side.
' We are surely fey, for the Norns speak with the voices of
Atli and of Asmund,' she said. * Oh, Eric ! Eric ! whither
go we when we die ? Will Valhalla take thee, being so
mighty a man, and must I away to Hela's halls, where thou
art not ? Oh ! that would be death indeed ! Say, Eric,
whither do we go ? '
* What said the voice of Asmund ? ' answered Brighteyes.
' That death is but the gate of life and love and rest.
Hearken, Gudruda, my May ! Odin does not reign over all
the world, for when I sat out yonder in England, a certain
holy man taught me of another God — a God who loves not
slaughter, a God who died that men might live for ever in
peace with those they lov^\
' How is this God named, Eric ? '
' They name Him the White Christ, and there are many
who cling to Him.'
* Would that I knew this Christ, Eric. I am weary of
death and blood and evil deeds, such as are pleasing to
our Gods. Oh, Eric, if I am taken from thee, swear this to
me : that thou wilt slay no more, save for thy life's sake only.'
' I swear that, sweet,' he made answer. ' For I too
am weary of death and blood, and desire peace most of all
things. The world is sad, and sad have been our days. Yet
it is well to have lived, for through many heavy days we
have wandered to this happy night.'
' Yea, Eric, it is well to have lived ; though I think that
death draws on. Now this is my counsel : that we rise, and
that thou dost put on thy harness and summon Skallagrim, so
that, if evil comes, thou mayst meet it armed. Surely I
thought I heard a sound — yonder in the hall ! '
' There is little use in that,' said Eric, ' for things will
befall as they are fated. We may do nothing of our own
will, I am sure of this, and it is no good to struggle with
the Norns. Yet I will rise.'
So he kissed her, and made ready to leave the bed, when
suddenly, as he lingered, a great heaviness seized him.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
277
' Gudruda,' he said, ' I am pressed down with sleep.'
* That I am also, Eric,' she said. ' My eyes shut of them-
selves and I can scarcely stir my limbs. Ah, Eric, we are fey
indeed, and this is — death that comes ! '
' Perchance ! ' he said, speaking heavily.
' Eric ! — wake, Eric ! Thou canst not move ? Yet hearken
to me— ah ! this weight of sleep ! Thou lovest me, Eric ! — is
it not so ? '
1 Yea,' he answered.
1 Now and for ever thou lovest me — and wilt cleave to me
always wherever we go ? '
' Surely, sweet. Oh, sweet, farewell ! ' he said, and his voice
sounded like the voice of one who speaks across the water.
' Farewell, Eric Brighteyes !— my love — my love, farewell ! '
she answered very slowly, and together they sank into a sleep
that was heavy as death.
Now Gizur, Ospakar's son, and Swanhild, Atli's widow, rode
fast and hard from Mosfell, giving no rest to their horses,
and with them rode that thrall who had showed the secret
path to Gizur. They stayed a while on Horse-Head Heights
till the moon rose. Now one path led hence to the shore that
is against the Westmans, where Gudruda's ship lay hound.
Then Swanhild turned to the thrall. Her beautiful face was
fierce and she had said few words all this while, but in her
heart raged a fire of hate and jealousy which shone through
her blue eyes.
'Listen,' she said to the thrall. * Thou shalt ride hence
to the bay where the ship of Gudruda the Fair lies at anchor.
Thou knowest where our folk are in hiding. Thou sluilt
speak thus to them. Before it is dawn they must take boats
and board Gudruda's ship and search her. And, if they find
Kric, the outlaw, aboard, they shall slay him, if they may.'
' That will be no easy task,' said the thrall.
' And if they find Gudruda they shall keep her prison or.
But, if they find neither the one nor the other, they shall do
this : they shall drive the crew ashore, killing as few as may
be, and burn the ship.'
278 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
' It is an ill deed thus to burn another's ship,' said
Gizur.
' Good or ill, it shall be done,' answered Swanhild fiercely.
* Thou art a lawman, and well canst thou meet the suit ;
moreover Gudruda has wedded an outlaw and shall suffer for
her sin. Now go, and see thou tarry not, or thy back shall
pay the price.'
The man rode away swiftly. Then Gizur turned to
Swanhild, asking : ' Whither, then, go we ? '
' I have said to Middalhof.'
'That is into- the wolfs den, if Eric and Skallagrim are
there,' he answered : ' I have little chance against the two of
them.'
' Nay, nor against the^ one, Gizur. Why, if Eric's right
hand were hewn from him, and he stood unarmed, he would
still slay thee with his left, as, swordless, he slew Ospakar thy
father. Yet I shall find a way to come at him, if he is
there.'
Then they rode on, and Gizur's heart was heavy for fear
of Eric and Skallagrim the Baresark. So fiercely did they
ride that, within one hour after midnight, they were at the
stead of Middalhof.
' We will leave the horses here in the field,' said
Swanhild.
So they leaped to earth and, tying the reins of the horses
together, left them to feed on the growing grass. Then they
crept into the yard and listened. Presently there came a
sound of horses stamping in the far corner of the yard.
They went thither, and there they found a horse and two
geldings saddled, but with the bits slipped, and on the horse
was such a saddle as women use.
'Eric Brighteyes, Skallagrim Lambstail, and Gudruda
the Fair,' whispered Swanhild, naming the horses and
laughing evilly — ' the birds are within ! Now to snare
them.'
' Were it not best to meet them by the ship ? ' asked
Gizur.
* Nay, thou fool ; if once Eric and Skallagrim are back to
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 279
back, and Whitefire is aloft, how many shall be dead before
they are down, thinkest thou ? We shall not find them sleeping
twice.'
' It is shameful to slay sleeping men,' said Gizur.
' They are outlaws,' she answered. ' Hearken, Ospakar's
son. Thou sayest thou dost love me and wouldst wed me :
know this, that if thou dost fail me now, I will never look
upon thy face again, but will name thee Niddering in all
men's ears.'
Now Gizur loved Swanhild much, for she had thrown her
glamour on him as once she did on Atli, and he thought of
her day and night. For there was this strange thing about
Swanhild, that, though she was a witch and wicked, being
both fair and gentle she could lead all men, except Eric, to love
her.
But of men she loved Eric alone.
Then Gizur held his peace ; but Swanhild spoke again :
' It will be of no use to try the doors, for they are strong.
Yet when I was a child before now I have passed in and out
the house at night by the store-room casement. Follow me,
Gizur.' Then she crept along in the shadow of the wall, for
she knew its every stone, till she came to the store-room, and
lo! the shutter stood open, and through it the moonlight
poured into the chamber. Swanhild lifted her head above
the sill and looked, then started back.
' Hush ! ' she said, ' Skallagrim lies asleep within.'
' Pray the Gods he wake not ! ' said Gizur beneath his
breath, and turned to go. But Swanhild caught him by the
arm ; then gently raised her head and looked again, long and
steadily. Presently she turned and laughed softly.
* Things go well for us,' she said ; ' the sot lies drunk. We
have nothing to fear from him. He lies drunk in a pool
of ale.'
Then Gizur looked. The moonlight poured into the little
room, and by it he saw the great shape of Skallagrim. His
head was thrown back, his mouth was wide. He snored
loudly in his drunken sleep, and all about him ran the brown
ale, for the spigot of the cask lay upon the floor. In his
280 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
left hand was a horn cup, but in his right he still grasped
his axe.
' Now we must enter,' said Swanhild. Gizur hung back,
but she sprang upon the sill lightly as a fox, and slid thence
into the store-room. Then Gizur must follow, and presently
he stood beside her in the room, and at their feet lay drunken
Skallagrim. Gizur looked first at his sword, then on the
Baresark, and lastly at Swanhild.
1 Nay,' she whispered, ' touch him not. Perchance he would
cry out — and we seek higher game. He has that within
him which will hold him fast a while. Follow where I shall
lead.'
She took his hand and, gliding through the doorway,
passed along the passage till she came to the great hall. Swan-
hild could see well in the dark, and moreover she knew the
road. Presently they stood in the empty hall. The fire had
burnt down, but two embers yet glowed upon the hearth, like
red and angry eyes.
For a while Swanhild stood still listening, but there was
nothing to hear. Then she drew near to the shut bed where
Gudruda slept, and, with her ear to the curtain, listened once
more. Gizur came with her, and as he came his foot struck
against a bench and stirred it. Now Swanhild heard mur-
mured words and the sound of kisses. She started back, and
fury filled her heart. Gizur also heard the voice of Eric,
saying : ' I will rise.' Then he would have fled, but Swanhild
caught him by the arm.
1 Fear not,' she whispered, ' they shall soon sleep
sound.'
He felt her stretch out her arms and presently he saw
this wonderful thing : the eyes of Swanhild glowing in the
darkness as the embers glowed upon the hearth. Now they
glowed brightly, so brightly that he could see the out-
stretched arms and the hard white face beneath them,
and now they grew dim, of a sudden to shine bright again.
And all the while she hissed words through her clenched
teeth.
Thus she hissed, fierce and low :
She took his hand/
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 281
Gudruda, Sister mine, hearken and sleep !
By the bond of blood I bid thee sleep !—
By the strength that is in me I bid thee sleep !—
Sleep ! sleep sound !
Eric Brighteyes, hearken and sleep !
By the bond of sin I charge thee sleep ! —
By the blood of Atli I charge thee, sleep !—
Sleep ! sleep sound !
Then thrice she tossed her hands aloft, saying :
From love to sleep !
From sleep to death !
From death to Hela !
Say, lovers, where shall ye kiss again ?
Then the light went out of her eyes and she laughed low.
And ever as she whispered, the spoken words of the two in
the shut bed grew fainter and more faint, till at length they
died away, and a silence fell upon the place.
' Thou hast no cause to fear the sword of Eric, Gizur,' she
said. ' Nothing will wake him now till daylight comes.'
' Thou art awesome ! ' answered Gizur, for he shook with
fear. ' Look not on me with tho'se flaming eyes, I pray thee ! '
* Fear not,' she said, ' the fire is out. Now to the work.'
' What must we do, then ? '
' Thou must do this. Thou must enter and slay Eric.'
* That I can not — that I will not ! ' said Gizur.
She turned and looked at him, and lo ! her eyes began to
flame again —upon his eyes they seemed to burn.
' Thou wilt do as I bid thee,' she said. ' With Eric's sword
thou shalt slay Eric, else I will curse thee where thou art, and
bring such evil on thee as thou knowest not of.'
' Look not so, Swanhild,' he said. ' Lead on— I come.'
Now they creep into the shut chamber of Gudruda. It is
so dark that they can see nothing, and nothing can they ln-;ir
except the heavy breathing of the sleepers.
This is to be told, that at this time Swanhild had it in her
mind to kill, not Eric but Gudruda, for thus she would smito
the heart of Brighteyes. Moreover, she loved Eric, and while he
lived she might yet win him ; but Eric dead must be Eric
282 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
lost. But on Gudruda she would be bitterly avenged —
Gudruda, who, for all her scheming, had yet been a wife to
Eric!
Now they stand by the bed. Swanhild puts out her hand,
draws down the clothes, and feels the breast of Gudruda be-
neath, for Gudruda slept on the outside of the bed.
Then she searches by the head of the bed -and finds
Whitefire which hung there, and draws the sword.
1 Here lies Eric, on the outside,' she says to Gizur, ' and
here is Whitefire. Strike and strike home, leaving Whitefire
in the wound.'
Gizur takes the sword and lifts it. He is sore at heart
that he must do such a coward deed ; but the spell of
Swanhild is upon him, and he may not flinch from it.
Then a thought takes him and he also puts down his hand to
feel. It lights upon Gudruda's golden hair, that hangs about
her breast and falls from the bed to the ground.
' Here is woman's hair,' he whispers.
4 No,' Swanhild answers, ' it is Eric's hair. The hair of
Eric is long, as thou hast seen.'
Now neither of them knows that Gudruda cut Eric's
locks when he lay sick on Mosfell, though Swanhild knows well
that it is not Brighteyes whom she bids Gizur slay.
Then Gizur, Ospakar's son, lifts the sword, and the faint
starlight struggling into the chamber gathers and gleams
upon the blade. Thrice he lifts it, and thrice he draws it
back. Then with an oath he strikes — and drives it home with
all his strength !
From the bed beneath there comes one long sigh and a sound
as of limbs trembling against the bed-gear. Then all is still.
' It is done ! ' he says faintly.
Swanhild puts down her hand once more. Lo ! it is wet
and warm. Then she bends herself and looks, and behold ! the
dead eyes of Gudruda glare up into her eyes. She can see
them plainly, but none know what she read there. At the
least it was something that she loved not, for she reels back
against the paneling, then falls upon the floor.
Presently, while Gizur stands as one in a dream, she rises,
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 283
saying : ' I am avenged of the death of Atli. Let us hence !—
ah ! let us hence swiftly ! Give ine thy hand, Gizur, for I ain
faint ! '
So Gizur gives her his hand and they pass thence. Pre-
sently they stand in the store-room, and there lies Skallagrim,
still plunged in his drunken sleep.
4 Must I do more murder ? ' asks Gizur hoarsely.
'Nay,' Swanhild says. 'I am sick with blood. Leave
the knave.'
They pass out by the casement into the yard and so on till
they find their horses.
* Lift me, Gizur; I can no more,' says Swanhild.
He lifts her to the saddle.
' Whither away ? ' he asks.
* To Coldback, Gizur, and thence to cold Death.'
Thus did Gudruda, Eric's bride and Asmund's daughter, the
fairest woman who ever lived in Iceland, die on her marriage
night by the hand of Gizur, Ospakar's son, and through the
hate and witchcraft of Swanhild the Fatherless, her half-sister.
284
ERIC BR1GHTEYES
CHAPTER XXX
HOW THE DAWN CAME
'HE dawn broke over Middalhof.
Slowly the light gathered in the
empty hall, it crept slowly into
the little chamber where Eric
slept, and Gudruda slept also with a
deeper sleep.
Now the two women came from
their chamber at the far end of the
hall, and drew near the hearth, shiver-
ing, for the air was cold. They knelt
by the fire, blowing at the embers till
the sticks they cast upon them crackled
to a blaze.
' It seems that Gudruda is not yet gone,' said one to the
other. * I thought she should ride away with Eric before
the dawn.'
' Newly wed lie long abed ! ' laughed the other.
' I am glad to see the blessed light,' said the first woman,
1 for last night I dreamed that once again this hall ran red
with blood, as at the marriage-feast of Ospakar.'
' Ah,' answered the other, ' it will be well for the south
when Eric Brighteyes and Gudruda are gone over sea, for
their loves have brought much bloodshed upon the land.'
' Well, indeed ! ' sighed the first. ' Had Asmund the Priest
never found Groa, Ran's gift, singing by the sea, Valhalla
had not been so full to-day. Mindestthou the day he brought
her here ? '
THE AXE CRASHED
THROUGH THE
PANELING.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 285
• I remember it well,' she answered, ' though I was but a
girl at the time. Still, when I saw those dark eyes of hers- —
just such eyes as Swanliild's ! — I knew her for a witch, as all
Finn women are. It is an evil world : my husband is dead by
the sword ; dead are both my sons, fighting for Eric ; dead is
Unna, Tliorod's daughter ; Asmund, my lord, is dead, and dead
is Bjorn ; and now Gudruda the Fair, whom I have rocked
to sleep, leaves us to go over sea. I may not go with her,
for my daughter's sake ; yet I almost wish that I too were
dead.'
4 That will come soon enough,' said the other, who was
young and fair.
Now the witch- sleep began to roll from Eric's heart,
though his eyes were not yet open. But the talk of the women
echoed in his ears, and the words ' dead ! ' ' dead ! ' ' dead ! '
fell heavily on his slumbering sense. At length he opened
his eyes, only to shut them again, because of a bright gleam of
light that ran up and down something at his side. Heavily
he wondered what this might be, that shone so keen and
bright — that shone like a naked sword.
' Now he looked again. Yes, it was a sword which stood
by him upon the bed, and the golden hilt was like the hilt
of Whitefire. He lifted up his hand to touch it, thinking that
he dreamed. Lo ! his hand and arm were red !
Then he remembered, and the thought of Gudruda flashed
through his heart. He sat up, gazing down into the shadow at
his side.
Presently the women at the fire heard a sound as of a great
man falling to earth.
' What is that noise ? ' said one.
* Eric leaping from his bed,' answered the other. ' lie
has slept too long, as we have also.'
As they spoke the curtain of the shut bed was pushed
away, and through it staggered Eric in his ni^ht
and lo ! the left side of it was red. His eyes were wide
with horror, his mouth was open, and his face was white
as ice.
286 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
He stopped, looking at them, made as though to speak,
and could not. Then, while they shrank from him in
terror, he turned, and, walking like a drunken man, staggered
from the hall down that passage which led to the store-
chamber. The door stood wide, the shutter was wide, and
on the floor, soaked in the dregs of ale, Skallagrim yet lay
snoring, his axe in one hand and a cup in the other.
Eric looked and understood.
' Awake, drunkard ! ' he cried, in so terrible a voice that
the room shook. ' Awake, and look upon thy work ! '
Skallagrim sat up, yawning.
* Forsooth, my head swims,' he said. ' Give me ale, I am
thirsty.'
' Never wilt thou look on ale again, Skallagrim, whenthou
hast seen that which I have to show ! ' said Eric, in the same
dread voice.
Then Skallagrim rose to his feet and gaped upon him.
' What means this, lord ? Is it time to ride ? and say !
why is thy shirt red with blood ? '
' Follow me, drunkard, and look upon thy work!' Eric
said again.
Then Skallagrim grew altogether sober, and grasping his
axe, followed after Brighteyes, sore afraid of what he might
see.
They went down the passage, past the high seat of the
hall, till they came to the curtain of the shut bed ; and after
them followed the women. Eric seized the curtain in his
hand, rent it from its fastenings, and cast it on the ground.
Now the light flowed in and struck upon the bed. It fell
upon the bed, it fell upon Whitefire's hilt and ran along
the blade, it gleamed on a woman's snowy breast and golden
hair, and shone in her staring eyes — a woman who lay
stiff and cold upon the bed, the great sword fixed within
her heart !
4 Look upon thy work, drunkard ! ' Eric cried again, while
the women who peeped behind sent their long wail of woe
echoing down the paneled hall.
' Hearken ! ' said Eric : ' while thou didst lie wallowing in
'"J_/cok upon thy work, drunkard!
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 287
thy swine's sleep, foes crept in across thy carcase, and this is
their handiwork: — yonder she lies who was my bride!
now is Gudruda the Fair a death-wife who last night was my
bride ! This is thy work, drunkard ! and now what meed for
thee ? '
Skallagrim looked. Then he spoke in a hoarse slow voice :
' What meed, lord ? But one— death ! '
Then with one hand he covered his eyes and with the
other held out his axe to Eric Brighteyes.
Eric took the axe, and while the women ran thence
screaming, he whirled it thrice about his head. Then he
smote down towards the skull of Skallagrim, but as he
smote it seemed to him that a voice whispered in his ear :
4 Thy oath ! '• — and he remembered that he had sworn to slay
no more, save for his life's sake.
The mighty blow was falling and he might only do this —
loose the axe before it clove Skallagrim in twain. He loosed
and away the great axe flew. It passed over the head of Skalla-
grim, and sped like light across the wide hall, till it crashed
through the paneling on the further side, and buried itself to
the haft in the wall beyond.
' It is not for me to kill thee, drunkard ! Go, die in thy
drink ! '
' Then I will kill myself! ' cried the Baresark, and, rushing
across the hall he tore the great axe from its bed.
' Hold ! ' said Eric ; ' perhaps there is yet a deed for thee
to do. Then thou mayst die, if it pleases thee.'
'Ay,' said Skallagrim coming back, 'perchance then1 is
still a deed to do ! '
And, flinging down the axe, Skallagrim Lambstail the
Baresark fell upon the floor and wept.
But Eric did not weep. Only he drew Wliitcfire from
the heart of Gudruda and looked at it.
'Thou art a strange sword, "Whik'fhv,' lie said, 'who
slayest both friend and foe! Shame on thee, NVhitefire !
We swore our oath on thee, Whiteflre, and thou hast cut its
chain! Now I am minded to shatter thee.' And as Krir.
looked on the great blade, lo ! it hummed strangely in answer.
288 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
' " First must tliou be the death of some," thou sayest ?
Well, maybe, Whitefire ! ]Jut never yet didst thou drink
so sweet a life as hers who now lies dead, nor ever shalt
again.'
Then he sheathed the sword, but neither then nor after-
wards did he wipe the blood of Gudruda from its blade.
* Last night a-marrying — to-day a-burying,' said Eric, and
he called to the women to bring spades. Then, having
clothed himself, he went to the centre of the ball, and, brushing
away the sand, broke the hard clay-flooring, dealing great
blowa on it with an axe. Now Skallagrim, seeing his purpose,
came to him and took one of the spades, and together they
laboured in silence till they had dug a grave a fathom
deep.
' Here,' said Eric, ' here, in thine own hall where thou
wast born and lived, Gudruda the Fair, thou shalt sleep at the
last. And of Middalhof I say this : that none shall live there
henceforth. It shall be haunted and accursed till the rafters
rot and the walls fall in, making thy barrow, Gudruda.'
Now this indeed came to pass, for none have lived at Mid-
dalhof since the days of Gudruda the Fair, Asmund's daughter.
It has been ruined these many years, and now it is but a pile
of stones.
When the grave was dug, Eric washed himself and ate
some food. Then he went into where Gudruda lay dead, and
bade the women make her ready for burial. This they did.
When she was washed and clad in a clean white robe, Eric
came to her, and with his own hand bound the Hell- shoes on
her feet and closed her eyes.
It was just then that a man came who said that the people of
Gizur and of Swanhild had burned Gudruda's ship, driving
the crew ashore.
* It is well,' said Eric. ' We need the ship no more ; now
hath she whom it should bear wings with which to fly.' Then
he went in and sat down on the bed by the body of Gudruda,
while Skallagrim crouched on the ground without, tearing at
his beard and muttering. For the fierce heart of Skallagriin
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 289
was broken because of that evil which his drunkenness had
brought about.
All day long Eric sat thus, looking on his dead love's face,
till the hour came round when he and Gudruda had drunk
the bride-cup. Then he rose and kissed dead Gudruda on tho
lips, saying :
' I did not look to part with thee thus, sweet ! It is sad
that thou shouldst have gone and left me here. Natheless,
I shall soon follow on thy path.'
Then he called aloud :
' Art sober, drunkard ? '
Skallagrim came and stood before him, saying nothing.
' Take thou the feet of her whom thou didst bring to death,
and I will take her head.'
So they lifted up Gudruda and bore her to the grave.
Then Eric 'stood near the grave, and, taking dead Gudruda in
his arms, looked upon her face by the light of the fire and of
the candles that were set about.
He looked thrice, then sang aloud :
Long ago, when swept the snow-blast,
Close we clung and plighted troth.
Many a year, through storm and sword-song, •
Sore I strove to win thee, sweet!
But last night I held thee, Fairest,
Lock'd, a wife, in lover's arms.
Now, Gudruda, in thy death-rest,
Sleep thou soft till Eric come !
Hence I go to wreak thy murder.
Hissing fire of flaming stead,
Groan of spear-carles, wail of women,
Soon shall startle through the night.
Then on Mosfell, Kirtle- Wearer,
Eric waits the face of Death.
Freed from weary life and sorrow,
Soon we'll kiss in Hela's halls !
Then he laid her in the grave, and, having shrouded a
sheet over her, they filled it in together, hiding Gudnida the
Fair from the sight of men for ever.
Afterwards Eric armed himself, and this Skallngrim did
u
290 ERIC BRIG HTE YES
also. Then he strode from the hall, and Skallagrim followed
him. In the yard those horses were still tied that should have
carried them to the ship, and on one was the saddle of Gudruda.
She had ridden on this horse for many years, and loved it
much, for it would follow her like a dog. Eric looked at him,
then said aloud :
' Gudruda may need thee where she is, "Hlaekmane,' for
so was the horse named. ' At the least, none shall n'do (lice
more ! ' And he snatched the axe from the hand of Skallngrim
and slew the horse at a blow.
Then they rode away, heading for Coldback. The night was
wild and windy, and the sky dark with scudding clouds,
through which the moon peeped out at times. Eric looked
up, then spoke to Skallagrim :
' A good night for burning, drunkard ! '
' Ay, lord ; the flames will fly briskly,' answered Skallagrim.
'How many, thinkest thou, walked over thee, drunkard,
when thou didst lie yonder in the ale ? '
4 1 knowr not,' groaned Skallagrim ; ' but I found this in
the soft earth without : the print of a man's and a woman's feet ;
and this on the hill side : the track of two horses ridden
hard.'
1 Gizur and Swanhild, drunkard,' said Eric. ' Swanhild
cast us into deep sleep by witchcraft, and Gizur dealt the
blow. Better for him that he had never been born than
that he has lived to deal that coward's blow ! '
Then they rode on, and when midnight was a little while
gone they came to the stead at Coldback. Now this house was
roofed with turves, and the windows were barred so that none
could pass through them. Also in the yard were faggots of
birch and a stack of hay.
Eric and Skallagrim tied their horses in a dell that is to the
north of the stead and crept up to the house. All was still ;
but a fire burnt in the hall, and, looking through a crack,
Eric could see many men sleeping about it. Then he made
signs to Skallagrim and together, very silently, they fetched
hay and faggots, piling them against the north door of the
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 291
house, for the wind blew from the north. Now Eric spoke to
Skallagrim, bidding him stand, axe in hand, by the south
door, and slay those who came out when the reek began to
smart them : but he went himself to fire the pile.
WhenBrighteyes had made all things ready for the burning,
it came into his mind that, perhaps, (li/ur and SWMII-
hild were not in the house. But he would not hold his
hand for this, for he was mad with grid' ;md rag«-. So once,
more he prepared for the deed, when :igain ho heard a voice
in his ear — the voice of (ludruda, and it seemed to say :
' Thine oath, Eric ! remember Iliinr with ! '
Then he turned and the rage went out of his heart.
4 Let them seek me on Mosi'ell,' he said, M will not slay them
secretly and by reek, the innocent and the guilty together.'
And he strode round the house to where Skallagrim stood at
the south door, axe aloft and watching.
'Does the fire burn, lord? I see no smoke,' whispered
Skallagrim.
' Nay, I have made none. I will shed no more blood, except
to save my life. I leave vengeance to the Norns.'
Now Skallagrim thought that Brighteycs was niad, but he
dared say nothing. So they went to their horses, and when
they found them, Eric rode back to the house. Presently
they drew near, and Eric told Skallagrim to stay where he was,
and riding on to the house, smote heavy blows upon the
door, just as Skallagrim once had smitten, before Eric, went
up to Mosfell.
Now Swanhild lay in her shut bed ; but she could not sleep,
because of what she saw in. the eyes of (ludruda. Little may
she sleep ever again, for when she shuts her eyes once moro
she sees that which was written in the dead eyes of (ludruda.
So, as she lay, she heard the blows upon the door, and
sprang frightened from her bed. Now there was tumult in
the%hall, for every man rose to his feet in fear, searching for
his weapons. Again the loud knocks came.
'It is the ghost of Eric ! ' cried one, for (Ji/ur had given
out that Eric was dead at his hand in fair fight.
4 Open ! ' said Gizur, and they opened, and there, a little
u2
292 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
way from the door, sat Brighteyes on a liovso, groat and
shadowy to sec, and behind him was Skallagrim the Baresark.
' It is the ghost of Eric ! ' they cried again.
'I am no ghost,' said Brighteyes. 'I am no ghost, ye
men of Swanliild. Tell me : is Gizur, the son of Ospakar,
among you ? '
' Gizur is here,' said a voice ; ' but he swore he slew thee
last night.'
* Then he lied,' quoth Eric. ' Gi/ur did not slay me —
he murdered Gudruda the Fair as she lay asleep at my side.
See ! ' and he drew Whitcfirc from its scabbard and held it
in the rays of the moon that now shone out between the cloud
rifts. ' Whitefire is red with Gudruda' s blood — Gudruda
slaughtered in her sleep by Gizur's coward hand ! '
Now men murmured, for this seemed to them the most
shameful of all deeds. But Gizur, hearing, shrank back
aghast.
' Listen again ! ' said Eric. * I was minded but now
to burn you all as ye slept — ay, the firing is piled against the
door. Still, I held my hand, for I have sworn to slsiy no
more, except to save my life. NOWT I ride hence to Mosfoll.
Thither let Gizur come, Gizur the murderer, and Swanliild
the witch, and with them all who will. There I will give
them greeting, and wipe away the blood of Gudruda from
Whitefire's blade.'
' Fear not, Eric,' cried Swanhild, ' I will come, and there
thou mayst kill me, if thou canst.'
' Against thee, Swanhild,' said Eric, ' I lift no hand.
Do thy worst, I leave thee to thy fate and the vengeance
of the Norns. I am no woman-slayer. But to Gizur the
murderer I say, come.'
Then he turned and went, and Skallagrim went with him.
' Up, men, and cut Eric down ! ' cried Gizur, seeking to
cover his sliame.
But no man stirred.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
CHAPTER XXXI
v
HOW ERIC SENT AWAY HIS MEN FKOM MOSFELL
OW Eric and Skallagrim came to
Mosfell in safety, and during all
that ride Brightens spoke no
word. He rode in silence, and
in silence Skallagrim rode after
him. The heart of Skallagrim
was broken because of the
sorrow which his drunkenness
had brought about, and the heart
of Eric was buried in Gudruda's
grave.
On Mosfell Eric found four
of his own men, two of whom
had been among those Unit the
people of (ii/ur and Swanhild
had driven from (Jmlruda's ship
before they fired her. For no
fight had been made on the ship. There also he found -Ion,
who had been loosed from his bands in the booth by one
who heard his cries as he rode past. Now when Jon s;i\\
Brighteyes, he told him all, and fell at Eric's feet and wept
because he had betrayed him in his fear.
But Eric spoke no angry word to him. Stooping down
he raised him, saying, 'Thou wast never oversiout of heart,
Jon, and them art scarcely to be blnnied because tliou didst
speak' rather than die in torment, though perhaps some h;id
chosen so to die and not to speak. Now 1 am a luckless man,
294 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
and all things happen as they are fated, and the words of
Atli come true, as was to be looked for. The Norns, against
whom none may stand, did but work their will through thy
mouth, Jon ; so grieve no more for that which cannot be
undone.'
Then he turned away, but Jon wept long and loudly.
That night Eric slept well and dreamed no dreams. But
on the morrow he woke at dawn, and clothed himself and
ate. Then he called his men together, and with them 8kalla-
grim. They came and stood before him, and Eric, drawing
Whitefire, leaned upon it and spoke :
' Hearken, mates,' he said : ' I know this, that my hours
are short and death draws on. My years have been few
and evil, and I cannot read the purpose of my life. She
whom I loved has been slain by the witchcraft of Bwanhild
and the coward hand of Gizur the murderer, and I go to seek
her where she waits. I am very glad to go, for now I
have no more joy in life, being but a luckless man ; it is an
ill world, friends, and all the ways are red with blood. 1 have
shod much blood, though but one life haunts me now at the
last, and that is the life of Atli the Earl, for he was no match
for my might and he is dead, because of my sin. With
my own blood I will wash away the blood of Atli, and then I
seek another place, leaving nothing but a tale to be told in the
ingle when fall the winter snows. For to this end we all
come at the last, and it matters little if it find us at midday
or at nightfall. We live in sorrow, we die in pain and
darkness : for this is the curse that the Gods have laid upon
men and each must taste it in his season. But I liave sworn
that no more men shall die for me. I will fight the last
great fight alone ; for I know this : I shall not easily be over-
come, and with my fallen foes I will tread on Bifrost Bridge.
Therefore, farewell ! When the bones of Eric Brighteyes lie
ki their barrow, or are picked by ravens on the mountain-side,
Gizur will not trouble to hunt out those who clung to him, if
indeed Gizur shall live to tell the tale. Nor need ye fear the
hate of Swanhild, for she aims her spears at me alone. Go,
therefore, and, when I am dead, do not forget me, and do not
Oil
.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
eek to avenge me, for Death the avenger of all will find them
also.'
Now Eric's men heard and groaned aloud, saying that they
ould die with him, for they loved Eric one and all. Only
Skallagrim said nothing.
Then Brighteyes spoke again : ' Hear me, comrades. If
ye will not go, my blood be on your heads, for I will ride out
alone, and meet the men of Gizur in the plain and fall there
fighting.'
Then one by one they crept away to seek their horses
in the dell. And each man as he went came to Eric and
kissed his hand, then passed thence weeping. Jon was the
last to go, except Skallagrim only, and he was so moved that
he could not speak at all.
It was this Jon who, in after years, when he was grown
very old, wandered from stead to stead telling the deeds of
Eric Brighteyes, and always finding a welcome because of his
tale, till at length, as he journeyed, he was overtaken by a
snowstorm and buried in a drift. For Jon, who lacked much,
had this gift : he had a skald's tongue. Men have always held
that it was to the honour of Jon that he told the tale thus,
hiding nothing, seeing that some of it is against himself.
Now when all had gone, Eric looked at Skallagrim, who
still stood near him, axe in hand.
* Wherefore goest thou not, drunkard ? ' he said. ' Surely
thou wilt find ale and mead in the vales or oversea. Herts
there is none. Hasten ! I would be alone ! '
Now the great body of Skallagrim .shook with grief and
shame, and the red blood poured up beneath his dark skin.
Then he spoke in a thick voice :
' I did not think to live to hear such words from the lips
of Eric Brighteyes. They am well earned, yd it is unmanly
of thee, lord, thus to taunt one who loves tliee. I would
sooner die as Swanhild said yonder thrall should die than
live to listen to such words. I have sinned against thee,
indeed, and because of my sin my heart is broken. I last
thou, then, never sinned that thou wouldst tear it living from
296 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
my breast as eagles tear a foundered horse ? Think on thine
own sins, Eric, and pity mine ! Taunt me thus once more
or bid me go once more and I will go indeed ! I will go
thus — on the edge of yonder gulf thou didst overcome me by
thy naked might, and there I swore fealty to thee, Eric
Brighteyes. Many a year have we wandered side by side, and,
standing back to back, have struck many a blow. I am minded
to do this : to stand by thee in the last great fight that
draws on and to die there with thee. I have loved no other
man save thee, and I am too old to seek new lords. Yet, if
still thou biddest me, I will go thus. Where I swore my oath
to thee, there I will end it. For I will lay me down on the
brink of yonder gulf, as once I lay when thy hand was at my
throat, and call out that thou art 110 more my lord and I am
no more thy thrall. Then I will roll into the depths beneath,
and by this death of shame thou shult be freed of me, Eric
Brighteyes.'
Eric looked at the great man — he looked long and sadly.
Then he spoke :
* Skallagrim Lambstail, thou hast a true heart. I too
have sinned, and now I put away thy sin, although Gudruda
is dead through theo and I must die because of thee. Stay by
me if thou wilt and let us fall together.'
Then Skallagrim came to Eric, and, kneeling before him,
took his hands and kissed them.
'Now I am once more a man,' he said, 'and I know
this : we two shall die such a great death that it will
be well to have lived to die it ! ' and he arose and
shouted :
A ! hai ! A ! hai ! I see foes pass in pride !
A ! hai ! A ! hai ! Valkyries ride the wind !
Hear the song of the sword 1
Whitefire is aloft— aloft !
Bare is the axe of the Baresark !
Croak, ye nesting ravens ;
Flap your wings, ye eagles,
For bright is Mosfell's cave with blood !
Lap ! lap ! thou Grey Wolf,
Laugh aloud, Odin !
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 2,}?
Laugh till shake the golden doors ;
Heroes' feet are set on Bifrost,
Open, ye hundred gates 1
A ! hai ! A ! hai ! red runs the fray !
A ! hai ! A ! hai ! Valkyries ride the wind !
Then Skallagrim turned and went to clean his harness and
the golden helm of Eric.
Now at Coldback Gizur spoke with Swanhild.
' Thou hast brought the greatest shame upon me,' he
said, ' for thou hast caused me to slay a sleeping woman.
Knowest thou that my own men will scarcely speak with me?
I have come to this evil pass, through love of thee, that 1 have
slain a sleeping woman ! '
'It was not my fault that thou didst kill Gudruda,'
answered Swanhild ; ' surely I thought it was Eric whom thy
sword pierced ! I have not sought thy love, Gizur, and J say
this to thee : go, if thou wilt, and leave me alone ! '
Now Gizur looked at her, and was minded to go ; but, as
Swanhild knew well, she held him too fast in the net of her
witcheries.
* I would go, if I might go ! ' answered Gizur ; ' but I am
bound to thee for good or evil, since it is fated that 1 shall
wed thee.'
' Thou wilt never wed me while Eric lives,' said Swanhild.
Now she spoke thus truthfully, and by chance, as it were,
not as driving Gizur on to slay Eric — for, now that (iudruda
was dead, she was in two minds as to this matter, since, if she
might, she still desired to take Eric to herself — but mea.ning
that while Eric lived she would wed no other man. I Jut
Gizur took it otherwise.
'Eric shall certainly die if I may bring it about,' he
answered, and went to speak with his men.
Now all were gathered in the yard at Coldback, and that
was a great company. But their looks were heavy because of
the shame that Gizur, Ospakar's son, had brought upon them
by the murder of Gudruda in her sleep.
' Hearken, comrades! ' said Gizur : 'great shame is come
298 ERIC BRIGPITEYES
upon me because of a deed that I have done unwittingly,
for I aimed at the eagle Eric and I have slain the swan
Gudruda.'
Then a certain old viking in the company, named Hotel,
whom Gizur had hired for the slaying of Eric, spoke :
' Man or woman, it is a ruddering deed to kill folk in their
sleep, Gizur ! 'It is murder, and no less, and small luck can
be hoped for from the stroke.'
Now Gizur felt that his people looked on him askance and
heavily, and knew that it would be hard to show them that
he was driven to this deed against his will, and by the
witchcraft of Swanhild. So, as was his nature, he turned to
guile for shelter, like a fox to his hole, and spoke to them
with the tongue of a lawman ; for Gizur had great skill in
speech.
' That tale was not all true which Eric Brighteyes told
you,' he said. 'He was mad with grief, and moreover it
scums that he slept, and only woke to find Gudruda dead.
It came about thus : I stood with the lady Swanhild, and
was about to call aloud on Eric to arm himself and come
forth and meet me face to face —
' Then, lord, methiiiks thou hadst never met another foe,'
quoth the viking Ketel who had spoken first.
'When of a sudden,' went on Gizur, taking no note of
Hotel's words, ' one clothed in white sprang from the bed and
rushed on me. Then I, thinking 'that it was Eric, lifted
sword, not to smite, but to ward him away; but the 'linen-
wearer met the sword and fell down dead. Then I fled,
fearing lest men should wake and trap us, and that is all
the tale. It was no fault of mine if Gudruda died upon the
sword.'
Thus he spoke, but still men looked doubtfully upon him,
for his eye was the eye of a liar — and Eric, as they knew, did
not lie.
' It is hard to find the truth between lawman's brain and
tongue,' said the old viking Ketel. ' Eric is no lawman, but
a true man, and he sang another song. I would slay Eric
indeed, for between him and me there is a blood-feud, since
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
ly brother died at his hand whon, with Whiteiire for a crook,
Brighteyes drove armed men like sheep down the hall of Mid-
dalhof— ay and swordless, slew Ospakar. Yet I say thai Eric
is a true man, and, whether or no thou art true, Gizur the Law-
man, that thou knowest best — thou and Swanhild the Kather-
less, Groa's daughter. If thou didst slay Gudruda as thou
tellest, say, how came Gudruda's blood on Wlritdire's blade '?
How did it chance, Gizur, that thou heldest Whitenre in thy
hand and not thine own sword ? Now I tell thee this : either
thou shalt go up against Eric and clear thyself by blows, or I
leave thee; and methinks there are others among this company
who will do the same, for we have no wish to be partners with
murderers and their wickedness.'
' Ay, a good word ! ' said many who stood by. ' Let (1 i/ur
go up with us to Mosfell, and there stand face to face with
Eric and clear himself by blows.'
4 1 ask no more,' said Gizur ; 'we will ride tb-night.'
' But much more shalt thou get, liar,' quoth Ketel to
himself, ' for that hour when thou lookest once again on
Whitenre shall be thy last ! '
So Gizur and Swanhild made ready to go up against Eric.
That day they rode away with a great company, a hundred
and one in all, and this was their plan. They sent six men with
that thrall who had shown them the secret path, bidding
him guide them to the mountain-top. Then, when they win
come thither, and heard the shouts of those who sought to gain
the platform from the south, they were to watch till Eric and
his folk came out from the cave, and shoot them with arrows
from above or crush them with stones. JJut if perchance Krir
left the platform and came to meet his foes in the narrow
then they must let themselves down with ropes from the
height above, and, creeping after him round the rock, must
smite him in the back. Moreover, in secret, Gizur promised
a great reward of ten hundreds in silver to him who should
kill Krir, for he did not long to stand fare to face with
him alone. Swanhild also in secret made promise of reward
300 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
to those who should bring Eric to her, bound, but living ; and
she bade them do this — to bear him down with shields and tie
him with ropes.
So they rode away, the seven who should climb the moun-
tain from behind going first, and on the morrow morning they
crossed the sand and came to Mosfell.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
301
CHAPTER XXXII
HOW ERIC AND SKALLAGRIM GREW FEY
^™" - OW the night came down
upon Mosfell, and of
all nights this was the
. strangest. The air was
quiet and heavy, yet no
rain fell. It was so
silent, moreover, that,
did a stone slip upon
the mountain side or a
horse neigh far off on
the plains, the sound of
it crept up the fell and was
echoed from the crags.
Eric and Bkallagrim sat to-
gether on the open space of rock
that is before the cave, and great
heaviness and fear came into
their hearts, so that they had no
desire to sleep.
' Methinks the night is ghost-ridden,' said Eric, ' and I am
fey, for I grow cold, and it seems to me that one strokes my
hair.'
' It is ghost-ridden, lord,' answered Skallagrim. ' Trolls
are abroad, and the God-kind gather to see Eric die.'
For a while they sat in silence, then suddenly the moun-
tain heaved up gently beneath them. Thrice it seemed to
heave like a woman's breast, and left them frightened.
* Now the dwarf- folk come from their caves,1 quoth
THE GHOST OF THE
BABESABK.
3C2 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Skallagrim, ' and great deeds may be looked for, since they are
not drawn to the upper earth by a little thing.'
Then once more they sat silent ; and thick darkness came
down upon the mountain, hiding the stars.
' Look,' said Eric of a sudden, and he pointed to Hecla.
Skallagrim looked, and lo ! the snowy dome of Hecla was
aglow with a rosy flame like the light of dawn.
' Winter lights,' said Lambstail, shuddering.
* Death lights ! ' answered Eric. ' Look again ! '
They looked, and behold ! in the rosy glow there sat three
giant forms of fire, and their shapes were the shapes of women.
Before them was a loom of blackness that stretched from earth
to sky, and they wove at it with threads of flame. They
were splendid and terrible to see. Their hair streamed
behind them like meteor flames, their eyes shone like light-
ning, and their breasts gleamed like the polished bucklers
of the gods. They wove fiercely at the loom of blackness,
and as they wove they sang. The voice of the one was as
the wind whistling through the pines ; the voice of the other
was as the sound of rain hissing on deep waters ; and the voice
of the third was as the moan" of the sea. They wove fearfully
and they sang loudly, but what they sang might not be known.
Now the web grew and the woof grew, and a picture came
upon the loom— a great picture written in fire.
Behold ! it was the semblance of a storm-awakened sea, and
a giant ship fled before the gale — a dragon of war, and in the
ship were piled the corses of men, and on these lay another
corse, as one lies upon a bed. They looked, and the face of the
corse grew bright. It was the face of Eric, and his head rested
upon the dead heart of Skallagrim.
Clinging to each other, Eric and Skallagrim saw the sight
of fear that was written on the loom of the Norns. They
saw it for a breath. Then, with a laugh like the wail of wolves,
the shapes of fire sprang up and rent the web asunder. Then
the first passed upward to the sky, the second southward
towards Middalhof, but the third swept over Mosfell, so
that the brightness of her flaming form shone on the rock
where they sat by the cave, and the lightning of her eyes was
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 3o3
mirrored in the byrnie of Skallagrim and on Eric's golden
helm. She swept past, pointing downwards as she went,
and lo ! she was gone, and once more darkness and silence'
lay upon the earth.
Now this sight was seen of Jon the thrall also, and ho told
it in his story of the deeds of Eric. For Jon lay hid m ;l
secret place on Mosfell, waiting for tidings of what came to
pass.
For a while Eric and Skallagrim clung to each other.
Then Skallagrim spoke.
' We have seen the Valkyries,' he said.
' Nay,' answered Eric, ' we have seen the Norns— who are
come to warn us of our doom ! We shall die to-morrow.'
' At the least,' said Skallagrim, * we shall not die alone : we
had a goodly bed on yonder goblin ship, and all of our own
slaying methinks. It is not so ill to die thus, lord ! '
' Not so ill ! ' said Eric ; ' and yet I am weary of blood and
war, of glory and of my strength. Now I desire rest alone.
Light fire — I can bear this darkness no longer ; the marrow
freezes in my bones.'
' Fire can be seen of foes,' said Skallagrim.
* It matters little now,' said Eric, * we are feyfolk.'
So Skallagrim lighted the fire, piling much brushwood and
dry turf over it, till presently it burnt up brightly, throwing
light on all the space of rock, and heavy shadows against the cliff
behind. They sat thus awhile in the light of the (lames,
looking towards the deep gulf, till suddenly there came ;i sound
as of one who climbed the gulf.
' Who comes now, climbing where no man may pass ? '
cried Erie, seizing Whitefire and springing to his feet. Pre-
sently he sank down again with white face and staring eyes, and
pointed at the edge of the cliff. And as he pointed, the neck
of a man rose in the shadow above the brink, and the hands of a
man grasped the rock. But there was no head on the neck.
The shape of the headless man drew itself slowly over the
brink, it walked slowly into the light towards the lire, then
sat itself down in the glare of the flames, which shrank away
3o4 ERIC fiRIGHTEYES
from it as from a draught of wind. Pale with terror, Eric and
Skallagrim looked on the headless thing and knew it. It was
the wraith of the Baresark that Brighteyes had slain — the
first of all the men he slew.
' It is my mate, Eric, whom thou di-dst kill years ago and
whose severed head spoke with thee ! ' gasped Skallagrim.
' It is he, sure enough ! ' said Eric ; ' but where may his
head be ? '
' Perchance the head will come,' answered Skallagrim. ' He
is an evil sight to see, surely. Say, lord, shall I fall upon
him, though I love not the task ? '
' Nay, Skallagrim, let him bide ; he does but come to warn
us of our fate. Moreover, ghosts can only be laid in one way —
by the hewing off of the head and the laying of it at the
thigh. But this one has no head to hew.'
Now as he spoke the headless man turned his neck as
though to look. Once more there came the sound of feet and
lo ! men inarched in from the darkness on either side. Eric and
Skallagrim looked up and knew them. They were those of
Ospakar's folk whom they had slain on Horse-Head Heights ;
all their wounds were on them and in front of them marched
Mord, Ospakar's son. The ghosts gazed upon Eric and
Skallagrim with cold dead eyes, then they too sat down by the
fire. Now once more there came the sound of feet, and from
every side men poured in who had died at the hands of Eric
and of Skallagrim. First came those who fell on that ship
of Ospakar's which Eric sank by Westmans ; then the crew of
the Raven who had perished upon the sea-path. Even as
the man died, so did each ghost come. Some had been drowned
and behold their harness dripped water ! Some had died of
spear-thrusts and the spears were yet fixed in their breasts !
Some had fallen beneath the flash of Whitefire and the weight
of the axe of Skallagrim, and there they sat, looking on their
wide wounds !
Then came more and more. There were those whom Eric
and Skallagrim had slain upon the seas, those who had fallen
before them in the English wars, and all that company who had
been drowned in the waters of the Pentland Firth when the
'Her "white robe was red with blood ; a great sword was set in her heart, '
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 305
dtchcraft of Swaiikild had brought the Gudruda to her
wreck.
' Now here we have a goodly crew,' said Eric at length. ' Is
it done, thmkest thou, or will Mosfell send forth more dm.d :' '
As he spoke the wraith of a grey-headed man drew
near. He had but one arm, for the other was hewn from him,
and the byrnie on his left side was red with blood.
' Welcome, Earl Atli ! ' cried Eric. ' Sit thou over against
me, who to-morrow shall be with thee.'
The ghost of the Earl seated itself and looked on Eric
with sad eyes, but it spake never a word.
Then came another company, and at their head stalked
black Ospakar.
'These be they who died at Middalhof,' cried Eric.
1 Welcome, Ospakar ! that marriage-feast of thine went ill ! '
' Now methinks we are overdone with trolls,' said Skalla-
grim ; ' but see ! here come more.'
As he spoke, Hall of Lithdale came, and with him Koll
the Half-witted, and others. And so it went 011 till all the
men whom Eric and Skallagrim had slain, or who had died
because of them, or at their side, were gathered in deep ranks
before them.
' Now it is surely done,' said Eric.
' There is yet a space,' said Skallagrim, pointing to the
other side of the fire, * and Hell holds many dead.'
Even as the words left his lips there came a noise of the
galloping of horse's hoofs, and one clad in white rode up.
It was a woman, for her golden hair flowed down about her
white arms. Then she slid from the horse and stood in the
light of the fire, and behold! her white robe was red with
blood, a great sword was set in her heart, and tin- I';KV jmd
eyes were the face and eyes of Giidriidii the Fair, and the
horse she rode was Ulackmane, that Eric had slain.
Now when Brighteyes saw her he gave a great cry.
' Greeting, sweet ! ' he said. 'I am no longer afraid,
since thou comest to bear me company. Thou art dear to my
sight — ay even in yon death-sheet. Greeting, sweet, my
May 1 I laid thee stiff and cold in the earth at Middalhof,
x
3o6 . ERIC BRIG HTE YES
but, like a loving wife, them hast burst thy bonds, and art
come to save me from the grip of trolls. Thou art welcome,
Gudruda, Asmund's daughter ! Come, wife, sit thou at my
side.'
The ghost of Gudruda spake no word. She walked
through the fire towards him, and the flames went out beneath
her feet, to burn up again when she had passed. Then she
sat down over against Eric and looked on him with wide and
tender eyes. Thrice he stretched out his arms to clasp her,
but thriee their strength left them and they fell back to his side.
It was as though they struck a wall of ice and were numbed
by the bitter cold.
'Look, here are more,' groaned Skallagrim.
Then Eric looked, and lo ! the empty space to the left of
the fire was filled with shadowy shapes like shapes of mist.
Amongst them was Gizur, Ospakar's son, and many a man
of his company. There, too, was Swanhild, Groa's daughter,
and a toad nestled in her breast. She looked with wide eyes
upon the eyes of dead Gudruda's ghost, that seemed not to
see her, and a stare of fear was set on her lovely face. Nor
was this all ; for there, before that shadowy throng, stood two
great shapes clad in their harness, and one was the shape of
Eric and one the shape of Skallagrim.
Thus, being yet alive, did these two look upon their own
wraiths !
Tkeii Eric and Skallagrim cried out aloud and their
brains swam and their senses left them, so that they swooned.
When they opened their eyes and life came back to them
the fire was dead, and it was day. Nor was there any sign of
that company which had been gathered on the rock before them.
' Skallagrim,' quoth Eric, ' it seems that I have dreamed
a strange dream — a most strange dream of Norns and trolls ! '
' Tell me thy dream, lord,' said Skallagrim.
So Eric told all the vision, and the Baresark listened in
silence.
' It was no dream, lord,' said Skallagrim, ' for I myself
have seen the same things. Now this is in my mind, that
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 307
yonder sun is the last that we shall see, for we have beheld the
death-shadows. All those who were gathered here last m'-lit
wait to welcome us on Bifrost Bridge. And the mist shapes
who sat there, amongst whom our wraiths were numbered,
are the shapes of those who shall die in the great right to-day.
For days are fled and we are sped ! '
' I would not have it otherwise,' said Eric. ' We have
been greatly honoured of the Gods, and of the ghost-kind that
are around us and above us. Now let us make ready to die
as becomes men who have never turned back to blow, for
the end of the story should fit the beginning, and of us there
is a tale to tell.'
' A good word, lord,' answered Skallagrim : ' I have struck
few strokes to be ashamed of, and I do not fear to tread
Bifrost Bridge in thy company. Now we will wash ourselvc \s
and eat, so that our strength may be whole in us.'
So they washed themselves with water, and ate heartily,
and for the first time for many months Eric was merry. For
now that the end was at hand his heart grew light within
him. And when they had put the desire of food from them,
and buckled on their harness, they looked out from their
mountain height, and saw a cloud of dust rise in the desert
plain of black sand beneath, and through it the sheen of
spears.
' Here come those of whom, if there is truth in visions,
some few shall never go back again,' said Kric. k Now. what
counsel hast thou, Skallagrim ? Where shall we meet them '.'
Here on the space of rock, or yonder in the deep way of the
cliff?'
' My counsel is that we meet them here,' said Skal la-rim,
' and cut them down one by one as they try to turn the
rock. They can scarcely come at us to slay us here so long
as our arms have strength to smite.'
'Yet they will come, though I know not how,' answered
Eric, ' for I am sure of this, that our death lies before us.
Here, then, we will meet them.'
Now the cloud of dust drew nearer, and they saw that
this was a great company which came up against them.
x -2
308 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
At the foot of tke fell the men stayed and rested a while,
and it was not till afternoon that they began to climb the
mountain.
' Night will be at hand before this game is played,'
said Skallagrim. * See, they climb slowly, saving their
strength, and yonder among them is Swanhild in a purple
cloak.'
' Ay, night will be at hand, Skallagrim — a last long night !
A hundred to two — the odds are heavy ; yet some shall wish
them heavier. Now let us bind on our helms.'
Meanwhile Gizur and his folk crept up the paths from
below. Now that thrall who knew the secret way had gone
011 with six chosen men, and already they climbed the water-
course and drew near to the flat crest of the fell. JJut
Eric and Skallagrim knew nothing of this. So they sat
down by the turning place that is over the gulf MI id
waited, singing of the taking of the Raven and of the slaying
in the stead at Middalhof, and telling tales of deeds that they
had done. And the thrall and his six men climbed on till
at length they gained the crest of the fell, and, looking over,
saw Eric and Skallagrim beneath them.
' The birds are in the snare, and hark ! they sing,' said the
thrall ; * now bring rocks and be silent.'
JJut (iizur and his people, having learned that Eric and
Skallagrim were alone upon the mountain, pushed on.
4 We have not much to fear from two men,' said (Jizur.
' That we shall learn presently,' answered Swanhild. ' I
tell thee this, that I saw strange sights last night, though I
did not sleep. I may sleep little now that Gudruda is dead,
for that which I saw in her eyes haunts me.'
Then they went on, and the face of Gizur grew white
with fear,
ERIC BRIGHTEYES
309
CHAPTER XXXIII
HOW ERIC AND SKALLAGRIM FOUGHT THEIR LAST GREAT
FIGHT
OWtho thrall and those with him
on the crest of the fell heard the
murmur of the company of (li/ur
and Swanhild as they won the,
mountain side, though they could
not see them because of the
rocks.
' Now it is time to begin and
knock these birds from their
perch,' said the thru 11, ' for thai,
is an awkward corner for our folk
to turn with AYhifefire and the
axe of Skallagrim waiting on the
further side.'
So he balanced a great stone,
as heavy as three men could lift,
on the brow of the rock, and
aimed it. Then he pushed and lot it go. It smote the plat-
form beneath with a crash, two fathoms behind the spot
where Eric and Skallagrim sat. Then it flew into the air,
and, just as Brighteyes turned at the sound, it struck tin-
wings of his helm, and, bursting the straps, tore the golden
helm-piece from his head and carried it away into the gulf
beneath.
Skallagrim looked up and saw what had come about.
'They have gained the crest of the Jell/ he crii-d. ' Now
3 TO ERIC BRIG HTE YES
we must fly into the cave or down the narrow way and
hold it.'
' Down the narrow way, then,' said Eric, and while rocks,
spears mid arrows rushed between and ;i round them, they
stepped on to the stone and won the path beyond. It was
clear. Cor ( ii/ur's folk had not yet come, and they ran nearly to
the mouth of it, where there was a bend in the way, and
stood there side by side.
1 Thou wast at death's door then, lord ! ' said Skallagrim.
1 Head-piece is not head,' answered Eric ; * but I wonder
how they won the crest of the fell. I have never heard
tell of any path by which it might be gained.'
' There they are at the least,' said Skallagrim. ' Now this
is my will, that thou shouldst take my helm. I am Baresark
and put little trust in harness, but rather in my axe and
strength alone.'
'I will not do that,' said Eric. 'Listen: I hear them
come.'
Presently the tumult of voices and the tramp of feet grew
clearer, and after a while (li/ur, Bwanhild, and the men of their
following turned the corner of the narrow \vay, and lo ! there
before thorn — ay within three paces of them stood Eric and
Skallagrim shoulder to shoulder, and the light poured down
upon them from above.
They wore terrible to see, and the light shone brightly on
Eric's golden hair and Whitefire's Hashing blade, and the
shadows lay dark on the black helm of Skallagrim and in the
fierce black eyes beneath.
Back surged Gizur and those with him. Skallagrim
would have sprung upon them, but Eric caught him by the
arm, saying : ' A truce to thy Baresark ways. Rush not and
move not ! Let us stand here till they overwhelm us.'
Now those behind Gizur cried out to know what ailed
them that they pushed back.
1 Only this,' said Gizur, ' that Eric Brighteyes and Skalla-
grim Lambstail stand like two grey wolves and hold the nar-
row way.'
'Now we shall have fighting worth the telling of,' quoth
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 3u
[etel the viking. ' On, Gizur, Ospakar's son, ami cut them
down ! '
' Hold ! ' said Swanhild ; ' I will speak with Erie first,' and,
together with Gizur and Ketel, she passed round the corner
of the path and came face to face with those who stood at
bay there.
' Now yield, Eric,' she cried. ' Foes are behind and bofmv
thee. Thou art trapped, and hast little chance of life. Yield
thee, I say, with thy black wolf-hound, so perchance thou
mayest find mercy even at the hands of her whose husband
thou didst wrong and slay.'
' It is not my way to yield, lady,' answered Eric, ' and still
less perchance is it the way of Skallagrim. Least of all will
we yield to thee who, after working many ills, didst throw me
in a witch-sleep, and to him who slew the wife sleeping at my
side. Hearken, Swanhild: here we stand, awaiting death,
nor will we take mercy from thy hand. For know this, we
shall not die alone. Last night as we sat on Mosfell we saw
the Norns weave our web of late upon their loom of darkness.
They sat on ITecla's dome and wove their pictures in living
flame, then rent the web and flew upward and southward and
westward, crying our doom to sky and earth and sea,. l.;i:t
night as we sat by the lire on Mosfell all the company of the
dead were gathered round us— ay ! and all the company of
those who shall die to-day. Thou wast there, Gizur the
murderer, Ospakar's son ! thou wast there, Swanhild the
witch, Groa's daughter ! thou wast there, Ketel Viking !
with many another man ; and there were we two also. Val-
kyries have kissed us and death draws near. Therefore, tit Ik
no more, but come and make an end. Greeting, Gizur, thou
woman-murderer ! Draw nigh ! draw nigh ! Out sword !
up shield ! and on, thou son of Ospakar ! '
Swanhild spoke no more, and Gizur had no word.
' On, Gizur ! Eric calls thee,' quoth Ketel Viking ; but
Gizur slunk back, not forward.
Then Ketel grew mad with rage and shame. lie called to
the men, and they drew near, as many as might, and looked
doubtfully at the pair who stood before them like rocks upon
3i2 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
a plain. Eric laughed aloud and Skallagrim gnawed the
edge of his shield. Eric laughed aloud and the sound of his
laughter rang up the rocks.
1 We are but two,' he cried, ' and ye are many ! Is there
never a pair among you who will stand face to face with a
I.jirosark ;m<l a holmless man-? ' and he tossed Whitefiro high
into the air and caught it by the hilt.
Then Ketcl and another man of his following sprang for-
ward with an oath, and their axes thundered loud on the
shields of Eric nnd of Skallagrim. But Whitefire flickered up
and the axe of Skallagrim crashed, and at once their knees
were loosened, so that they sank down dead.
' More men ! more men ! ' cried Eric. * These were brave,
but their might was little. More men for the Grey Wolfs
maw ! '
Then Swanhild lashed the folk with bitter words, and two
of them sprang on. They sprang on like hounds upon a deer
at bay, and they rolled back as gored hounds roll from the
deer's horns.
1 More men ! more men ! ' cried Eric. * Here lie but four
and a hundred press behind. Now he shall win great honour
who lays Brighteyes low and brings down the helm of
Skallagrim.'
Again two came on, but they found no luck, for presently
they also were down upon the bodies of those who went
before. Now none could be found to come up against the
pair, for they fought like Baldur and Thor, and none could
touch them, and no harness might withstand the weight of
their blows that shore through shield and helm and byrnie,
deep to the bone beneath. Then Eric and Skallagrim leaned
upon their weapons and mocked their foes, while Ihese cursed
and tore their beards with rage and shame.
Now it is to be told that when the thrall and those with
him saw that Eric and Skallagrim had escaped their rocks
and spears, they took counsel, and the end of it was that
they slid down a rope to the platform that is under the
crest of the fell. Thence, though they could see nothing,
they could hear the clang of blows and the shouts of those
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 313
who fought and fell— ay ! and the mocking of Eric and of
Skallagrim.
' Now it goes thus,' said the thrall, who was a cunning
man: 'Eric and Skallagrim hold the narrow way ;m<l HOIK-
can stand against them. This, them, is my redo: that we
turn the rock and take them in the back.'
His fellows thought this a good saying, and one by one
they stood upon the little rock and won the narrow way.
They crept along this till they were near to Eric and Skalla-
grim. Now Swanhild, looking up, saw them and started.
Skallagrim noted this and glanced over his shoulder, and that
not too soon, for, as he looked, the thrall lifted sword to
smite the head of Eric.
With a shout of ' Back to hack ! ' the Baresark swung round
and ere ever the sword might fall his axe was buried deep in
the thrall's breast.
' Now We must cut our path through them,' said Skalla-
grim, ' and, if it maybe, win the space that is before the cave.
Keep them off in front, lord, and I will mind these manni-
kins.'
Now Gizur's folk, seeing what had come about, took
heart and fell upon Eric with a rush, and those who were
with the dead thrall rushed at Skallagrim, and there began
such a fight as has not been known in Iceland. But the way
was so narrow that scarce more than one man could come to
each of them at a time. And so fierce and true were the
blows of Eric and Skallagrim that of those who came on few
went back. Down they fell, and where they fell they died,
and for every man who died Eric and Skallagrim won a pace
toward the point of rock. Whitcfire flamed so swift, and
swept so wide that it seemed to Swanhild, watching, as
though three swords were aloft at once, and the B
Skallagrim thundered down like the axe of a woodman
against a tree, and those groaned on whom it fell as
groans a falling tree. Now the shields of these twain were
hewn through and through, and cast away, and their blond
ran from many wounds. Still, their life; was whole in them
and they plied axe and sword with both hands. And ever
314 ERIC BRIG HTE YES
men fell, and ever, fighting hard, they drew nearer to the
point of rock.
Now it was won, and now all tho company that came
with the thrall from over the mountain brow were dead or
sorely wounded at the hands of black Skallagrim. Lo ! one
springs on Eric, and Gizur creeps behind him. Whitefire
leaps to meet the man and does not leap in vain ; but Gizur
smites a coward blow at Eric's uncovered head, and wounds
him sorely, so that he falls to his knee.
' Now I am smitten to the death, Skallagrim,' cries Eric.
' Win the rock and leave me.' Yet he rises from his
knee.
Then Skallagrim turns, red with blood and terrible to
see.
' 'Tis but a scratch. Climb thou the rock — I follow,' he
says, and, screaming like a horse, with weapon aloft he leaps
alone upon the foe. They break before the Baresark rush ;
they break, they fall — they are clovon by Piarrsark uxe and
trodden of Baresark feet ! They roll back, leaving the way
clear— save for the dead. Then Skallagrim follows Bright-
eyes to the rock.
Now Eric wipes the gore from his eyes and sees. Then,
slowly and with a reeling brain, he steps down upon the giddy
point. Ho goes near to falling, vet does not fall, for now he
lies upon the open space, and creeps on hands and knees to
the rock-wall that is by the cave, and sits resting his back
against it, Whitefire on his knee.
Before he is there, Skallagrim staggers to his side with a
rush.
4 Now we have time to breathe, lord,' he gasps. ' See,
here is water,' and he takes a pitcher that stands by, and
gives Eric to drink from the pool, then drinks himself and
pours the rest of the water on Eric's wound. Then new
life conies to them, and they both stand upon their feet and
win back their breath.
' We have not done so badly ! ' says Skallagrim, ' and we
are still a match for one or two. See, they come ! Say,
where shall we meet them, lord ? '
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 3!5
'Here,' quoth Eric; <I cannot stand well upon my le^s
without the help of the rock. Now I am all unmeet for fight.'
' Yot shall this last stand of thine he sung of ! ' says
Skallagrim.
Now finding none to stay them, the men of Gizur climb
one by one upon the rock and win the space that is beyond.
SAvanhild goes first of all, because she knows well that Krir
will not harm her, and after her come Gizur and the
others. But many do not come, for they will lift sword no
more.
Now Swanhild draws near and looks on Eric and mocks
him in the fierceness of her heart and the rage of her wolf-
love.
' Now,' she says, ' now are Brighteyes dim eyes ! What !
weepest thou, Eric ? '
' Ay, Swanhild,' he answered, ' I weep tears of blood for
those whom thou hast brought to doom.'
She draws nearer and speaks low to him : * Hearken,
Eric. Yield thee ! Thou hast done enough for honour, ;m<l
thou art not smitten to the death of yonder cowardly hound.
Yield and I will nurse thee back to health and bear thee
hence, and together we will forgot our bate and woes.'
'Not twice may a man lie in a witch's bod,' snid F.ric,
'and my troth is plighted to other than thee, Swanhild.'
' She is dead,' says Swanhild.
' YTes, she is dead, Swanhild ; and I go to seek her amongst
the dead — I go to seek her and to find her ! '
But the face of Swanhild grew fierce as the winter sea.
' Thou hast put me away for the last time, Eric ! Now thou
shalt die, as I have promised thee and as I promised Gudruda
the Fair ! '
' So shall I the more quickly find Gudruda and lose sight
of thy evil face, Swanhild the harlot ! Swanhild the murderess !
Swanhild the witch! For I know this: thou shalt not escape !
— thy doom draws on also! — and haunted and accursed shalt
thou be for ever! Fare thee well, Swanhild ; we shall meet
no more, and the hour comes when thou shalt grieve that thou
wast ever born ! J
316 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Now Swanhild turned and called to the folk : ' Come, cut
down these outlaw rogues and make an end. Come, cut them
down, for night draws on.'
Then once more the men of Gizur closed in upon them.
Eric smote thrice and thrice the hlow went home, then he
could smite no more, for his strength was spent with toil and
wounds, and he sank upon the ground. For a while Skallagri m
stood over him like a she-hear o'er her young and held the
mob at hay. Then Gizur, watching, cast a spear at Eric. It
entered his side through a cleft in his byrnie and pierced him
deep.
* I am spod, Skallagrim Lambstail,' cried Eric in a loud
voice, and all men drew hack to see giant Brighteyes die.
Now his head fell against the rock and his eyes closed.
Then Skallagrim, stooping, drew out the spear and kissed
Eric on the forehead.
* Farewell, Eric Brighteyes ! ' he said. ' Iceland shall never
see such another man, and few have died so great a death.
Tarry a while, lord ; tarry a while — I come — I come ! '
Then crying ' Eric ! Eric ! ' the Baresark fit took him, and
once more and for the last time Skallagrim rushed screaming
upon the foe, and once more they rolled to earth before him.
To and fro he rushed, dealing great blows, and ever as he wont
they stabbed and cut and thrust at his side and back, for they
dared not stand before him, till he bled from a hundred wounds.
Now, having slain three more men, and wounded two others,
Skallagrim might no more. He stood a moment swaying
to and fro, then he let his axe drop, threw his arms high
above him, and with one loud cry of * Eric ! ' fell as a rock
falls — dead upon the dead.
But Eric was not yet gone. He opened his eyes and saw
the death of Skallagrim and smiled.
' Well ended, Lambstail ! ' he said in a faint voice.
' Lo ! ' cried Gizur, ' yon outlawed hound still lives ! Now
I will do a needful task and make an end of him, and so shall
Ospakar's sword come back to Ospakar's son.'
' Thou art wondrous brave now that the bear lies dying ! '
said Swanhild.
The death of Eric
ERIC BRIGHTEYES 317
Now it seemed that Eric heard the words, for suddenly
ds might came back to him, and he, staggered to Jus knees
md thence to his feet. Then, as folk fall from him, with ;ill
his strength he whirls Whitefire round his head till it sliim-s
like a wheel of lire. ' Thy service is done and thoti ;irt clean
of Gudruda's blood — go back to those who forged thee!1
Brighteyes cries, and casts Whitefire from him towards tin-
gulf.
Away speeds the great blade, flashing like lightning thruu-h
the rays of the setting sun, and behold! as men watch it
is gone — gone in mid- air!
Since that day 110 such sword as Whitefire has been known
in Iceland.
'Now slay thou me, Gizur,' says the dying Eric.
Gizur comes on with little eagerness, and Eric cries
aloud :
' Swordless I slew thy father ! — swordless, shieldless, and
wounded to the death I will yet slay tlicc, Gizur the Mur-
derer ! ' and with a loud cry he staggered toward him.
Gizur smites him with his sword, but Ericdoes not stay, and
while men wait and wonder Brighteyes sweeps him into It is
great arms — ay, sweeps him up, lifts him from the ground
and reels on.
Eric reels on to the brink of the gulf. Gi/ur 8668 his pur-
pose, struggles and shrieks aloud. But the strength of tin:
dying Eric is more than the strength of (li/.ur. Now liright-
eyes stands on the di//.y edge and the light of the pa
sun flames about his head. And now, bearing (li/.ur with
him, he hurls himself out into the gulf, and lo ! the sun
sinks !
Men stand wondering, but Swanhild cries aloud :
' Nobly done, Eric ! nobly done ! So 1 would have
thee die who of all men wast the first ! '
This then was the end of Eric Brighteyes the Unlucky, who
of all warriors that have lived in Iceland was the mi-'
the goodliest, and the best beloved of women and of those who
clung to him.
3i8 ERIC BRIGHTEYES
Now, on the morrow, Swanhild caused the body of Eric
to be searched for in the cleft, and there they found it,
floating in water and with the dead (jizur yet clasped in
its bear-grip. Then she cleansed it and clothed it iiguin
in its rent armour, and bound on the Hell-shoes, and it
was carried on horses to the sea-side, and with it were borne
the bodies of Skallagrim Lambstail the Baresark, Eric's thrall,
and of all those men whom they had slain in the last great
fight on Mosfell, that is now named Ericsfell.
Then Swanhild drew her long dragon of war, in which she
had come from Orkneys, from its shed over against Westrnan
Isles, and, in the centre of the ship, she piled the bodies of
the slain in the shape of a bed, and lashed them fast. And
on this bed she laid the corpse of Eric Brighteyes, and the
breast of black Skallagrim the Baresark was his pillow, and
the breast of Gizur, Ospakar's son, was his foot-rest.
Then she caused the sails to be hoisted, and went alone
aboard the long ship, the rails of which were hung with the
shields of the dead men.
And when at evening the breeze freshened to a gale that
blew from the land, she cut the cable with her own hand, and
the ship leapt forward like a thing alive, and rushed out in
the red light of the sunset towards the open sea.
Now ever the gale freshened and folk, standing on West-
man Heights, saw the long ship plunge past, dipping her
prow beneath the waves and sending the water in a rain of
spray over the living Swanhild, over the dead Eric and those
he lay upon.
And by the head of Eric Brighteyes, her hair streaming
on the wind, stood Swanhild the Witch, clad in her purple
cloak, and with rings of gold about her throat and arms. She
stood by Eric's head^swaying with the rush of the ship,
and singing so sweet and wild a song that men grew weak who
heard it.
Now, as the people watched, two white swans came down
from the clouds and sped on wide wings side by side over the
vessel's mast.
The ship rushed on through the glow of the sunset into
ERIC B RIGHTS YES 3,9
the gathering night. On sped the- ship, but still Swanhild
sung, and still the swans Hew over her.
The gale grew fierce, and fiercer yet. The darkness
gathered deep upon the raging sea.
Now that ship was seen no more, and the death-song of
Swanhild as she passed to doom was never heard again.
For swans and ship, and Swanhild, and dead Eric and his
dead foes, were lost in the wind and the night.
But far out on the sea a great name of fire leapt up towards
the sky.
Now this is the tale of Eric Brighteyes, Thorgrimur's .son ;
of Gudruda the Fair, Asmimd's daughter ; of Swanhild the
Fatherless, Atli's wife, and of Ounound, named Skallagrim
Lambstail, the Baresark, Eric's thrall, all of whom lived and
died before Thangbrand, Wilibald's son, preached the \Vlii to
Christ in Iceland.
THE END
PRINTED BY
srornswooDi: AM> co., trew-STRKKT SQUARE
LONDON
A CATALOGUE OF WORKS
IN
GENERAL LITERATURE
PUBLISHED BY
MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, & CO.,
39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON, E.G.
MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, & CO.
Issue the undermentioned Lists of their Publications, which may be had post free
on application : —
1. MONTHLY LIST OF NEW WOKKS
AND NEW EDITIONS.
2. QUARTERLY LIST OF ANNOUNCE-
MENTS AND NEW WORKS.
3. NOTES ON BOOKS; BEING AN
ANALYSIS OF TH:: WORKS
PUBLISHED DURING EACH
QUARTER.
4. CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC
WORKS.
<. CATALOGUE OF MEDICAL AND
6. CATALOGUE OF SCHOOL BOOKS
AND EDUCATIONAL WORKS.
7. CATALOGUE OF BOOKS FOR ELE-
MENTARY SCHOOLS AND I'l'IML
TEACHERS.
8. CATALOGUE OF THK.OI
WORKS BY DIVINES AND MEM-
BERS OF THE CHURCH OF
ENGLAND.
9. CATALOGUE OF WORKS IN
SURGICAL WORKS. GENERAL LITERATURE.
ABBEY (Rev. C. J.) and OVERTON (Rev. J. H.).— THE ENGLISH
CHURCH IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. Cr. 8vo. 75. 6d.
ABBOTT (Evelyn).— A HISTORY OF GREECE. In Two Parts.
Part I. — From the Earliest Times to the Ionian Revolt. Cr. 8vo. los. 6d.
Part II. Vol. I.— 500-445 B.C. [fn the Press.} Vol. II.— [/a Preparation.]
HELLENICA. A Collection of Essays on Greek I'oetry, Philosophy,
History, and Religion. Edited by EVELYN ABB /IT. 8vo. i6s.
ACLAND (A. H. Dyke) and RANSOMS (Cyril).-A HANDI1.'
IN OUTLINE OF THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND TO
1890. Chronologically Arranged. Crown 8vo. 6s.
ACTON" (Eliza).— MODERN COOKERY. With i- Fcp. 8vo.
J. 6d.
2 A CATALOGUE OF BOOK'S IN GENERAL LITERATURE
A. K. H. B.— THE ESSAYS AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF. Crown Svo.
3-r. 6d. each.
Autumn Holidays of a Country Parson.
Changed Aspects of Unchanged
Truths.
Commonplace Philosopher.
Counsel and Comfort from a City
Pulpit.
Critical Essays of a Country Parson.
East Coast Days and Memories.
Graver Thoughts of a Country Parson.
Three Series.
Landscapes, Churches, and Moralities.
Leisure Hours in Town.
Lessons of Middle Age.
Our Little Life. Two Series.
Our Homely Comedy and Tragedy.
Present Day Thoughts.
Recreations of a Country Parson.
Three Series.
Seaside Musings.
Sunday Afternoons in the Parish
Church of a Scottish University
City.
' To Meet the Day ' through the Christian Year ; being a Text of Scrip-
ture, with an Original Meditation and a Short Selection in Verse for Every
Day. Crown Svo. 4^. 6d.
— TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF ST. ANDREWS. 1865-1890. 2 vols.
Svo. Vol. I. Svo. i2s. {Ready. 1 Vol.11. [/« preparation.'}
AMERICAN WHIST, Illustrated: containing the Laws and Principles of the
Game, the Analysis of the New Play. By G. W. P. Fcp. Svo. 6s. 6d.
AMOS (Sheldon).— A PRIMER OF THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION
AND GOVERNMENT. Crown Svo. 6s.
ANNUAL REGISTER (The). A Review of Public Events at Home and Abroad,
for the year 1890. Svo. i8s.
%* Volumes of the 'Annual Register' for the years 1863-1889 can still be had.
ANSTEY (F.).— THE BLACK POODLE, and other Stories. Crown 8vo.
2s. boards. ; zs. 6d. cloth.
- VOCES POPULI. Reprinted from Punch. First Series, with 20 Illus-
trations by J. BERNARD PARTRIDGE. Fcp. 410. 55.
ARISTOTLE-The Works of.
THE POLITICS, G. Bekker's Greek Text of Books I. III. IV. (VII.),
with an English Translation by W. E. BOLLAND, and short Introductory
Essays by ANDREW LANG. Crown Svo. js. 6d.
• • THE POLITICS, Introductory Essays. By ANDREW LANG. (From
9 Bolland and Lang's ' Politics '.) Crown Svo. zs. 6d.
THE ETHICS, Greek Text, illustrated with Essays and Notes. By Sir
ALEXANDER GRANT, Bart. 2 vols. 8vo. 325.
THE NICOMACHEAN ETHICS, newly translated into English. By
ROBERT WILLIAMS. Crown Svo. 7*. 6d.
ARMSTRONG (Ed.).— ELISABETH FARNESE : the Termagant of
Spain.
ARMSTRONG (G. P. Savage-).— POEMS : Lyrical and Dramatic. Fcp.
Svo. 6s.
BY THE SAME AUTHOR. Fcp. Svo.
King Saul. 5*.
King David. 6s.
King Solomon. 6s.
Ugone ; a Tragedy. 6s.
A Garland from Greece. Poems, gs.
Stories of Wicklow. Poems, gs.
Hephistopheles in Broadcloth ; a Sa-
tire.
One in the Infinite ; a Poem. Crown
Svo. y.y. 6d.
The Life and Letters of Edmond J.
Armstrong, js. 6d.
ARMSTRONG (E. J.).— POETICAL WORKS. Fcp. Svo.
ESSAYS AND SKETCHES. Fcp. Svo. 5*.
PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, & CO. 3
ARNOLD (Sir Edwin).— THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, or tin- Great
Consummation. A Poem. Crown 8vo. js. 6d. net.
SEAS AND LANDS. With 71 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 7s. 6d.
ARNOLD (Dr. T.).— INTRODUCTORY LECTURES ON MODERN
HISTORY. 8vo. 73. 6d.
MISCELLANEOUS WORKS. 8vo. ^s. 6d.
ASHLEY (J. W.).— ENGLISH ECONOMIC HISTORY AND THEORY.
Part I.— The Middle Ages. Crown 8vo. $s.
ATELIER (The) du Lys ; or, An Art Student in the Reign of Terror. By
the Author of Mademoiselle Mori '. Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.
BY THE SAME AUTHOR. Crown 2s. 6d. each.
MADEMOISELLE MORI. A CHILD OF THE REVOLU-
THAT CHILD. TION.
UNDER A CLOUD. HESTER'S VENTURE.
THE FIDDLER OF LUGAU. IN THE OLDEN TIME.
BACON.— COMPLETE WORKS. Edited by R. L. ELLIS, J. SPEDDING,
and D. D. HEATH. 7 vols. 8vo. ^3 13^. 6d.
__ LETTERS AND LIFE, INCLUDING ALL HIS OCCASIONAI
WORKS. Edited by J. SPEDDING. 7 vols. 8vo. jT^ 4^.
-- THE ESSAYS ; with Annotations. By Archbishop WHATELY. 8vo.
ios. 6d.
__ THE ESSAYS ; with Introduction, Notes, and Index. By E. A. ABBOTT.
2 vols. Fcp. 8vo. 6s. Text and Index only. Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d.
BADMINTON LIBRARY (The), edited by the DUKE OF BEAUFORT,
assisted by ALFRED E. T. WATSON.
HUNTING. By the DUKE OF BEAUFORT, and MOWBRAY MORRIS. With
53 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. los. 6d.
FISHING. By H. CHOLMONDELEY-PENNELL.
Vol. I. Salmon, Trout, and Grayling. 158 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. los. 6d.
Vol. II. Pike and other Coarse Fish. 132 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
RACING AND STEEPLECHASING. By the EARL OF SUFFOLK AND
BERKSHIRE, W. G. CRAVEN, &c. 56 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. IQJ. 6d.
SHOOTING. By LORD WALSINGHAM, and Sir RALPH PAYNK-GALLWEY, Bart.
Vol I Field and Covert. With 105 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. los. 6d.
Vol. H. Moor and Marsh. With 65 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
CYCLING. By DISCOUNT BURY (Earl of Albetnarle) and G. LACY lln
With 89 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. roj-. 6d.
ATHLETICS AND FOOTBALL. By MONTAGUE SHKAKMAN. With 41 Illus-
trations. Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
BOATING. By W. B. WOODGATE. With' 49 Illustrations. Crown 8vo.
ios. 6d.
CRICKET. By A. G. STEEL and the Hon. R. H. LYTTELTON. With 63 111
trations. Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
DRIVING. By theDuitiiOF BKAUKOKT. \\'ith 65 lllustiations. Crown 8vo.
1W' 6d' {Continued.
4 A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS IN GENERAL LITERATURE
BADMINTON LIBRARY (The)— (continued).
FENCING, BOXING, AND WRESTLING. By WALTER H. POLLOCK, F.
C. GKOVE, C. PREVOST, E. B. MICHELL, and WALTER ARMSTRONG.
With 42 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. los. 6d.
GOLF. By HORACE HUTCHINSON, the Rt. Hon. A. J. BALFOUR, M.P.,
ANDREW LANG, Sir W. G. SIMPSON, Bart., &c. With 88 Illustrations.
Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
TENNIS, LAWN TENNIS, RACKETS, AND FIVES. By J. M. and C. G.
HEATHCOTE, E. O. PLEYDELL-BOUVERIE, and A. C. AINGER. With 79
Illustrations. Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
RIDING AND POLO. By Captain ROBERT WEIR, Riding-Master, R.H.G.,
J. MORAY BROWN, &c. With 59 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
SKATING, CURLING, TOBOGGANING, &c. By J. M. HEATHCOTE, C.
G. TEBBUTT, T. MAXWELL WITHAM, the Rev. JOHN KKRR, ORMOND
HAKE, and Colonel BUCK. With 284 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
BAGEHOT (Walter).— BIOGRAPHICAL STUDIES. 8vo. izs.
- ECONOMIC STUDIES. 8vo. IQJ. 6d.
LITERARY STUDIES. 2 vols. 8vo. 28*.
- THE POSTULATES OF ENGLISH POLITICAL ECONOMY.
Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.
BAGWELL (Richard).- IRELAND UNDER THE TUDORS. (3 vols.)
Vols. I. and II. From the first invasion of the Northmen to the year 1578.
8vo. 325. Vol. III. 1578-1603. 8vo. i8s.
BAIN" (Alex.).— MENTAL AND MORAL SCIENCE. Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
SENSES AND THE INTELLECT. 8vo. 155.
EMOTIONS AND THE WILL. 8vo. 155.
LOGIC, DEDUCTIVE AND INDUCTIVE. Part I., Deduction
4J. Part II., Induction, 6s. 6d.
PRACTICAL ESSAYS. Crown 8vo. 2s.
BAKER.— EIGHT YEARS IN CEYLON. With 6 Illustrations. Crown
8vo. y. 6d.
THE RIFLE AND THE HOUND IN CEYLON. With 6 Illustra-
tions. Crown 8vo. 3^. 6d.
BALL (The Rt. Hon. T. J.).— THE REFORMED CHURCH OF IRE-
LAND (1537-1889). 8vo. 7S. 6d.
HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE LEGISLATIVE SYSTEMS
OPERATIVE IN IRELAND (1172-1800). 8vo. 6s.
BARING-GOULD (Rev. S.).— CURIOUS MYTHS OF THE MIDDLE
AGES. Crown 8vo. 3J. 6d.
BEACONSFIELD (The Earl of).— NOVELS AND TALES. The
Hughenden Edition. With 2 Portraits and n Vignettes, n vols. Crown
8vo. 42s.
Endymion.
Lothair.
Coningsby.
Yenetia.
Henrietta Temple.
Contarini Fleming, &c.
Alroy, Ixion, Ac.
The Young Duke, Ac.
Vivian Grey.
Tancred. Sybil.
NOVELS AND TALES. Cheap Edition, n vols. Crown 8vo. is. each,
boards; is. 6d. each, cloth.
PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, 6* CO.
BECKER (Professor).— (TALL US; or. Roman Scenes in the Time of Augus-
tus. Illustrated. Post 8vo. js. 6d.
CHARICLES ; or, Illustrations of the Private Life of the Ancient Greeks.
Illustrated. Post 8vo. 7$. 6d.
BELL (Mrs. Hugh).— WILL O' THE WISP : a Story. Crown 8vo. y. 6</'.
CHAMBER COMEDIES. Crown 8vo. 6s.
NURSERY COMEDIES. Fcp. 8vo. 15. 6d.
BLAKE (J.).— TABLES FOR THE CONVERSION OF 5 PER CENT. IN-
TEREST FROM ^s TO 7 PER CENT. 8vo. 125. 6d.
BOOK (THE) OF WEDDING DAYS. Arranged on the Plan of a Birthday i
With 96 Illustrated Borders, Frontispiece, and Title-page by Walter '
and Quotations for each Day. Compiled and Arranged by K. E. J. R, n
MAY Ross, and MABEL BAMFIELD. 410. 2is.
BRASSEY (Lady).— A VOYAGE IN THE 'SUNBEAM,' OUR HOAII.
ON THE OCEAN FOR ELEVEN MONTHS.
Library Edition. With 8 Maps and Charts, and 118 Illustrations, 8vo. 2is.
Cabinet Edition. With Map and 66 Illustrations, Crown 8vo. 73. 6d.
' Silver Library ' Edition. With 66 Illustrations, Crown 8vo. 3^. 6d.
School Edition. With 37 Illustrations, Fcp. 2s. cloth, or 35. white parchment.
Popular Edition. With 60 Illustrations, 410. 6d. sewed, is. cloth.
- SUNSHINE AND STORM IN THE EAST.
Library Edition. With 2 Maps and 114 Illustrations, 8vo. 21 s.
Cabinet Edition. With 2 Maps and 114 Illustrations, Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
Popular Edition. With 103 Illustrations, 410. 6d. sewed, is. cloth.
IN THE TRADES, THE TROPICS, AND THE 'ROARING
FORTIES'.
Cabinet Edition. With Map and 220 Illustrations, Crown 8vo. 75. 6d.
Popular Edition. With 183 Illustrations, 410. 6d. sewed, is. cloth.
THE LAST VOYAGE TO INDIA AND AUSTRALIA IN THE
' SUNBEAM '. With Charts and Maps, and 40 Illustrations in Monotone
(20 full-page), and nearly 200 Illustrations in the Text. 8vo. 2is.
THREE VOYAGES IN THE 'SUNBEAM'. Popular Edition. With
346 Illustrations, 410. 2S. 6d.
BRAY (Charles).— THE PHILOSOPHY OF NECESSITY ; or, Law in
Mind as in Matter. Crown 8vo. y.
BRIGHT (Rev. J. Franck).— A HISTORY OF ENGLAND. 4 vols. Cr. 8vo.
Period I.— Mediaeval Monarchy : The Departure of the Romans to Richard III.
From A.D. 449 to 1485. 4^. 6d.
Period II.— Personal Monarchy : Henry VII. to James II. From 1485 to 1688. u.
Period III. Constitutional Monarchy : William and Mary to William IV.
From 1689 to 1837. 75. 6d.
Period IV.— The Growth of Democracy : Victoria. From 1837 to 1880. bs.
BRYDEW (H. A.).— KLOOF AND KARROO : Sport, Legend, and Natural
History in Cape Colony. With 17 Illustrations. 8vo. los. 6d.
BUCKLE (Henry Thorn as).-HISTORY OF CIVILISATION IN I
LAND AND FRANCE, SPAIN AND SCOTLAND. 3 vols. Cr. 8vo. 24*.
6 A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS IN GENERAL LITERATURE
BULL (Thomas).— HINTS TO MOTHERS ON THE MANAGEMENT
OF THEIR HEALTH during the Period of Pregnancy. Fcp. 8vo. u. 6d.
THE MATERNAL MANAGEMENT OF CHILDREN IN HEALTH
AND DISEASE. Fcp. 8vo. is. 6d.
BUTLER (Samuel).— EREWHON. Crown 8vo. 55.
THE FAIR HAVEN. A Work in Defence of the Miraculous Element
in our Lord's Ministry. Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
- LIFE AND HABIT. An Essay after a Completer View of Evolution.
Cr. 8vo. js. 6d.
- EVOLUTION, OLD AND NEW. Crown 8vo. 105. 6d.
UNCONSCIOUS MEMORY. Crown 8vo. 7s. 6d.
ALPS AND SANCTUARIES OF PIEDMONT AND THE
CANTON TICINO. Illustrated. Pott 410. ior. 6d.
SELECTIONS FROM WORKS. Crown 8vo. 75. 6d.
LUCK, OR CUNNING, AS THE MAIN MEANS OF ORGANIC
MODIFICATION? Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
- EX VOTO. An Account of the Sacro Monte or New Jerusalem at
Varallo-Sesia. Crown 8vo. los. 6d.
HOLBEIN'S ' LA DANSE '. y.
CARLYLE (Thomas).— THOMAS CARLYLE: a History of his Life. By
J. A. FROUDE. 1795-1835, 2 vols. Cr. 8vo. 75. 1834-1881, 2' vols. Cr. 8vo. js.
CASE (Thomas).— PHYSICAL REALISM : being an Analytical Philosophy
from the Physical Objects of Science to the Physical Data of Sense. 8vo. 15^.
CHETWYWD (Sir George).— RACING REMINISCENCES AND EX-
PERIENCES OF THE TURF. 2 vols. 8vo. 21 j.
CHILD (Gilbert W.).— CHURCH AND STATE UNDER THE
TUDORS. 8vo. 15*.
CHISHOLM (G. G.).— HANDBOOK OF COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY.
With 29 Maps. 8vo. i6s.
CHURCH (Sir Richard).— Commander-in-Chief of the Greeks in the War
of Independence : a Memoir. By STANLEY LANE-POOLE. 8vo. 5^.
CLIVE (Mrs. Archer).— POEMS. Including the IX. Poems. Fcp. 8vo. 65.
CLODD (Edward).— THE STORY OF CREATION : a Plain Account of
Evolution. With 77 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 3^. 6d.
CLUTTERBUCK (W. J.).— THE SKIPPER IN ARCTIC SEAS. With
39 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. los. 6d.
ABOUT CEYLON AND BORNEO : being an Account of Two Visits
to Ceylon, one to Borneo, and How we Fell Out on our Homeward Journey.
With 47 Illustrations. Crown 8vo.
COLENSO (J. W.).— THE PENTATEUCH AND BOOK OF JOSHUA
CRITICALLY EXAMINED. Crown 8vo. 6s.
COMYN (L. N".).— ATHERSTONE PRIORY: a Tale. Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.
CONINGTCXN" (John).— THE yENEID OF VIRGIL. Translated into
English Verse. Crown 8vo. 6.?.
THE POEMS OF VIRGIL. Translated into English Prose. Cr. 8vo.6s.
COX (Rev. Sir G. W.).— A HISTORY OF GREECE, from the Earliest
Period to the Death of Alexander the Great. With n Maps. Cr. 8vo. 75. 6d.
PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, &> CO. 7
CRAKE (Rev. A. D.).— HISTORICAL TALES. Cr. 8vo. 5 vols. zs. 6d. each.
Edwy the Fair; or, The First Chronicle I The House of Walderne. A Tale 01
of ./Escendune.
Alfgar the Dane; or, The Second
Chronicle of yEscendune.
The Rival Heirs : being the Third and
Last Chronicle of ^Escendune.
the Cloister and the Forest in the
Days of the Barons' Wars.
Brain Fitz-Gount. A Story of Wal-
lingford Castle and Dorchester
Abbey.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH UNDER THE ROMAN EMPIRE,
A.D. 30-476. Crown 8vo. 75. 6d.
CREIGHTOlSr (Mandell, D.D.)— HISTORY OF THE PAl'ACYDUR-
ING'THE REFORMATION. 8vo. Vols. I. and II., 1378-1464, 32*. ; Vols.
III. and IV., 1464-1518, 24-r.
CRUMP (A.).— A SHORT ENQUIRY INTO THE FORMATION OF
POLITICAL OPINION, from the Reign of the Great Families to tin-
of Democracy. 8vo. js. 6d.
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE CAUSES OF THE Gi
FALL IN PRICES which took place coincidently with the Demonetisation
of Silver by Germany. 8vo. 6s.
DANTE.— LA COMMEDIA DI DANTE. A New Text, carefully Revised
with the aid of the most recent Editions and Collations. Small 8vo. 6s.
DE LA SAUSSAYE (Prof. Chantepie).-A MANUAL OF THE
SCIENCE OF RELIGION. Translated by Mrs. COLYER FERGUSSON (nit
MAX MULLER). Crown 8vo. i2s. 6d.
DELAND (Mrs.).— JOHN WARD, PREACHER. Cr. 8vo. zs. bds., zs.6d. cl.
SIDNEY : a Novil. Crown 8vo. 6s.
THE OLD GARDEN, and other Verses. Fcp. 8vo. 55.
DE REDCUFFE.— THE LIFE OF THE RIGHT HON. STRATFORD
CANNING : VISCOUNT STRATFORD DE RKDCLIFFE. By STANLEY
LANE-POOLE. With 3 Portraits. Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
DE SALTS (Mrs.).— Works by :—
Cakes and Confections a la Mode.
Fcp. 8vo. is. 6d.
Dressed Game and Poultry a la Mode.
Fcp, 8vo. is. 6d.
Dressed Vegetables a la Mode. Fcp.
8vo. is. 6d.
Drinks a la Mode. Fcp. 8vo. is. 6d.
Entre'es a la Mode. Fcp. is. 8vo. 6d.
Floral Decorations. Fcp. 8vo. is. 6d.
Oysters a la Mode. Fcp. 8vo. is. 6d.
Puddings and Pastry & la Mode. Fcp.
8vo. is. 6d.
Savouries k la Mode. Fcp. 8vo. is. 6d.
Soups and Dressed Fish a la Mode.
Fcp. 8vo. is. 6d.
Sweets and Supper Dishes k la Mocle.
Fcp. 8vo. is. 6d.
Tempting Dishes for Small Incomes.
Fcp. 8vo. is. 6d.
Wrinkles andNotionsfor every House-
hold. Crown 8vo. is. 6d.
DE TOCQUEVrLLE (Alexis).-DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA Trans-
lated by HENRY REEVE, C.B. 2 vols. Crown 8vo. i6s.
DOUGALIi (L.).— BEGGARS ALL ; a Novel. Crown 8vo. 6s.
DOWT-LL fSteDhen)-A HISTORY OF TAXATION AND TAXKS IN
ScLA^ND 4vol?8vo. Vols. I and II, The History of 1,
Vols. III. and IV., The History of Taxes, 2is.
DOYLE (A. Conan).-MICAH CLARKE : a Tale of Monmouth's I
e ^. 8vo. 6,
8 A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS IN GENERAL LITERATURE
DRAWE (Augusta T.).— THE HISTORY OF ST. DOMINIC, FOUNDER
OF THE FRIAR PREACHERS. With 32 Illustrations. 8vo. 155.
DUBLIN UNIVERSITY PRESS SERIES (The) : a Series of Works
undertaken by the Provost and Senior Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin.
Abbott's (T. K.) Codex Rescriptus
Dublinensis of St.Matthew. 410. 2is.
Evangeliorum Yersio Ante-
hieronymiana ex Codice Usseriano
(Dublinensi). 2 vols. Cr. 8vo. 2is.
Allman's (G. J.) Greek Geometry from
Thales to Euclid. 8vo. los. 6d.
Burnside (W. S.) and Panton's (A. W.)
Theory of Equations. 8vo. i2s. 6d.
Casey's (John) Sequel to Euclid's Ele-
ments. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
— Analytical Geometry of the
Conic Sections. Crown 8vo. 75. 6d.
Davies' (J. F.) Eumenides of /Eschylus,
With. Metrical English Translation.
8vo. 75.
Dublin Translations into Greek and
Latin Yerse. Edited by R. Y.
Tyrrell. 8vo. 6s.
Graves' (R. P.) Life of Sir William
Hamilton. 3 vols. 15.5-. each.
Griffin (R. W.) on Parabola, Ellipse,
and Hyperbola. Crown 8vo. 6s.
Hobart's (W. K.) Medical Language of
St. Luke. 8vo. 165.
Leslie's (T. E. Cliffe) Essays in Politi-
cal Economy. 8vo. los. 6d.
Macalister's (A.) Zoology and Morpho-
logy of Yertebrata. 8vo. los. 6d.
HacCullagh's (James) Mathematical
and other Tracts. 8vo. 155.
Maguire's (T.) Parmenides of Plato,
Text with Introduction, Analysis,
&c. 8vo. js. 6d.
Monck's (W. H. S.) Introduction to
Logic. Crown 8vo. y.
Roberts' (R. A.) Examples on the
Analytic Geometry of Plarfe Conies.
Crown 8vo. y.
Southey's (R.) Correspondence with
Caroline Bowles. Edited by E.
Dowdcn. 8vo. 145.
Stubbs' (J. W.) History of the Univer-
sity of Dublin, from its Foundation
to the End of the Eighteenth Cen-
tury. 8vo. i2s. 6d.
Thornhill's (W. J.) The ^Eneid of
Yirgil, freely translated into English
Blank Verse. Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
Tyrrell's (R. Y.) Cicero's Correspond-
ence.
Vols. I., II. and III. 8vo. each i2s.
The Acharnians of Aristo-
phanes, translated into English
Verse. Crown 8vo. is.
Webb's (T. E.) Goethe's Faust, Trans-
lation and Notes. 8vo. i2S. 6d.
- The Veil of Isis ; a Series
of Essays on Idealism. 8vo. los. 6d.
Wilkins' (G.) The Growth of the
Homeric Poems. 8vo. 6s.
EWALD (Heinrich).— THE ANTIQUITIES OF ISRAEL. 8vo. izs. 6d.
— . THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. 8vo. Vols. I. and II. 245. Vols. Ill
and IV. 215. Vol. V. i8s. Vol. VI. i6s. Vol. VII. 2is. Vol. VIII. i8s.
FARNEIiL (G. S.).- GREEK LYRIC POETRY. 8vo. i6r.
FARRAR (F. W.).— LANGUAGE AND LANGUAGES. Crown 8vo. 6s.
DARKNESS AND DAWN ; or, Scenes in the Days of Nero. An
Historic Tale. 2 vols. 8vo. 28s.
FITZPATRICK (W. J.).— SECRET SERVICE UNDER PITT. 8vo.
FITZWYGRAM (Major-General Sir F.).— HORSES AND STABLES.
With 19 pages of Illustrations. 8vo. 55.
FORD (Horace).— THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ARCHERY.
New Edition, thoroughly Revised and Re-written by W. BUTT. 8vo. 145.
FOU AKD (Abbs' Constant).— THE CHRIST THE SON OF GOD. With
Introduction by Cardinal Manning. 2 vols. Crown 8vo. 14.?.
PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, & CO.
(C. J.).— THE EARLY HISTORY OF CHARLES TAMES FOX. By
the Right Hon. Sir. G. O. TREVELYAN, Bart.
Library Edition. 8vo. iSs. \ Cabinet Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.
FRANCIS (Francis).— A BOOK ON ANGLING : including full Illustrated
Lists of Salmon Flies. Post 8vo. i$s.
FREEMAN (E. A.).— THE HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE.
With 65 Maps. 2 vols. 8vo. 31 j. 6d.
FROUDE (James A.).— THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND, from the Fall of
Wolsey to the Defeat of the Spanish Armada. 12 vols. Crown 8vo. £a zs.
THE DIVORCE OF CATHERINE OF ARAGON : The Story as told
by the Imperial Ambassadors resident at the Court of Henry VIII. In Usuu;
Laicorum. 8vo. i6s.
THE ENGLISH IN IRELAND IN THE EIGHTEENTH CEX-
TURY. 3 vols. Crown 8vo. i8s.
SHORT STUDIES ON GREAT SUBJECTS.
Cabinet Edition. 4 vols. Cr. 8vo. 24*. | Cheap Edit. 4 vols. Cr. 8vo. y. 6d. en.
CAESAR : a Sketch. Crown 8vo. 35. 6d.
OCEANA ; OR, ENGLAND AND HER COLONIES. With 9 Illus-
trations. Crown 8vo. zs. boards, 2S. 6d. cloth.
THE ENGLISH IN THE WEST INDIES; or, the Bow of Ulysses.
With 9 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. zs. boards, zs. 6d. cloth.
THE TWO CHIEFS OF DUNBOY; an Irish Romance of the Last
Century. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
THOMAS CARLYLE, a History of his Life. 1795 to 1835. 2 vols.
Crown 8vo. 75. 1834 to 1881. 2 vols. Crown 8vo. 75.
GALL WEY (Sir Ralph Payne-).— LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS.
(First Series.) On the Choice and Use of a Gun. Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
GARDINER (Samuel Rawson).— HISTORY OF ENGLAND, 1603-
1642. 10 vols. Crown 8vo. price 6s. each.
A HISTORY OF THE GREAT CIVIL WAR, 1642-1649. (3 vols.)
Vol. I. 1642-1644. With 24 Maps. 8vo. (out of print}. Vol. II. 1644-1647.
With 21 Maps. 8vo. 245. Vol. III. 1647-1649. With 8 Maps. 285.
THE STUDENT'S HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Vol. I. B.C. ss-A.n.
1509, with 173 Illustrations, Crown 8vo. 45- Vo1- n- iS°9-l689i with 96
Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 45. Vol. III. 1689-1885, with 109 Illustrations.
Crown 8vo. 45. Complete in i vol. With 378 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. izs.
A SCHOOL ATLAS OF ENGLISH HISTORY. A Companion
to ' Student's History of England '. 66 Maps and 22 Plans. Fcap. 410. y.
GIBERNE (Agnes).— NIGEL BROWNING. Crown 8vo. $s.
GOETHE.— FAUST. A New Translation chiefly in Blank Verse ; with Intro-
duction and Notes. By JAMES ADEY BIRDS. Crown 8vo. 6s.
FAUST. The Second Part. A New Translation in Verse. By I
ADEY BIRDS. Crown 8vo. 6s.
GREEN (T. H.)— THE WORKS OF THOMAS HILL GREEN. (3 Vols.)
Vols. I. and II. 8vo. i6s. each. Vol. III. 8vo. zis.
THE WITNESS OF GOD AND FAITH : Two Lay Sermons. Fcp.
8vo. zs.
GREVILLE (C C F.).— A JOURNAL OF THE REIGNS OF KING
GEORGE I V: KING fwiLLIAM IV., AND QUEEN VICTORIA. Edited
by H. REEVE. 8 vols. Crown 8vo. 6s. each.
io A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS IN (IEXERAL LITERATURE
GWILT (Joseph).— AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF ARCHITECTURE.
Wall more than 1700 Engravings on Wood. 8vo. 525. 6cl.
HAGGARD (H. Rider).— SITE. With 32 Illustrations. Crown Svo. y. 6</.
ALLAN QUA'! I.KMAIX. With 31 Illustrations. Crown Svo. 3
- MAIWA'S REVENGE. Crown Svo. is. hoards, is. 6d, cloth.
COLONEL QUAR1TCH, V.C. Crown Svo. y. 6d.
CLEOPATJRA : Wilh 29 Illustrations. Crown Svo. y. 6d.
- BEATRICE. Crown Svo. 3.*. 6d.
ERIC BRIGHTEYES. With 51 Illustrations. Crown Svo. 6s.
HAGGARD (H. Rider) and LANG (Andrew).— THE WORLD'S
DESIRE. Crown Svo. 6s.
HALF HOURS WITH THE MILLIONAIRES. Edited by B. B. WEST.
Crown Svo. 6s.
HALLIWEKL-PHTLLIPPS (J. O.)-A CALENDAROFTHEHALIJ.
WELL-PHILLIPPS COLLECTION OF SI 1AK LM'EAKEAN RARITIES
Second Edition. Enlarged by Ernest E. Baker. Svo. io.r. ha.
OUTLINES OF THE LIFE OF SHAKESPEARE. With numerous
Illustrations and Facsimiles. 2 vols. Royal Svo. zis.
HARRISON (Jane E.).— MYTHS OF THE ODYSSEY IN ART AND
LITERATURE. Illustrated with Outline Drawings. Svo. 185.
HARRISON (F. Bayford).— THE CONTEMPORARY HISTORY OF
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. Crown Svo. 3*. 6d.
HARTE (Bret).— IN THE CARQUINEZ WOODS. Fcp. Svo. is. bds.,
is. 6rf. cloth.
BY SHORE AND SEDGE. i6mo. is.
— ON THE FRONTIER. i6mo. is.
HARTWIG (Dr.).— THE SEA AND ITS LIVING WONDERS. With 12
Plates and 303 Woodcuts. Svo. js. net.
THE TROPICAL WORLD. With 8 Plates and 172 Woodcuts. Svo. ^s. net.
TI! E POLAR WORLD. With 3 Maps, 8 Plates and 85 Woodcuts. Svo. 7s. net.
THE SUBTERRANEAN WORLD. With 3 Maps and So Woodcuts. Svo. ^s. net.
THE AERIAL WORLD. With Map, 8 Plates and 60 Woodcuts. Svo. js. net.
HAVELOCK.— MEMOIRS OF SIR HENRY HAVELOCK, K.C.B. By
JOHN CLARK MARSHMAN. Crown Svo. 35. 6d.
HEARN (W. Edward).— THE GOVERNMENT OF ENGLAND: its
Structure and its Development. Svo. 165.
THE ARYAN HOUSEHOLD : its Structure and ts Development.
An Introduction to Comparative Jurisprudence. Svo. i6s.
HISTORIC TOWNS. Edited by E. A. FREEMAN and Rev. WILLIAM HUNT.
With Maps and Plans. Crown 8vo y. 6d. each.
Bristol. By Rev. W. Hunt. I Winchester. By Rev. G. W. Kitchin.
Carlisle. By Dr. Mandell Creighton.
Cinque Ports. By Montagu Burrows.
Colchester. By Rev. E. L. Cutts.
Exeter. By E. A. Freeman.
London. By Rev. W. J. Loftie.
Oxford. By Rev. C. W. Boase.
New York. By Theodore Roosevelt.
Boston (U.S.). By Henry Cabot
Lodge.
York. By Rev. James Raine.
[In preparation.
PUBLISHED BY MESSRS, LONGMANS, CKEF.N, & CO. it
HODGSON (Shadworth H.).— TIME AND SPACE: a Metaphysical
Essay. 8vo. i6.r.
- THE THEORY OF PRACTICE : an Ethical Enquiry. 2 vols. Svo. 24*.
- THE PHILOSOPHY OF REFLECTION. 2 vols. Svo. 20.
OUTCAST ESSAYS AND VERSE TRANSLATIONS. Crown Svo.
8s. 6d.
HO WITT (William).— VISITS TO REMARKABLE PLACES. 80 Illus-
trations. Crown Svo. 3-r. 6d.
HULL AH (John).— COURSE OF LECTURES ON THE HISTORY OF
MODERN MUSIC. Svo. 8s. 6d.
COURSE OF LECTURES ON THE TRANSITION PEK1OD OF
MUSICAL HISTORY. Svo. ICM. 6d.
HUME.— THE PHILOSOPHICAL WORKS OF DAVID HUME. E.lued
by T. H. GREEN and T. H. GKOSE. 4 vols. Svo. 56.?.
HUTCHINSON (Horace).— FAMOUS GOLF LINKS. By HOKACK
G. HUTCHINSON, ANDREW LANG, H. S. C. LVKUAUD, T. Rirn
CLARK. £c. With numerous Illustrations by F. P. Hopkins, T.
H. S. King, &c. Crown Svo. 6s.
HUTH (Alfred H.).— THE MARRIAGE OF NEAR KIN, considered with
respect to the Law of Nations, the Result of Experience, and the Teachings
of Biology. Royal Svo. 2is.
INGELOW (Jean).— POETICAL WORKS. Vols. I. and 11. Fcp. Svo.
i2.f. Vol. III. Fcp. Svo. 5^.
LYRICAL AND OTHER POEMS. Selected from the Writings of
JEAN INGELOW. Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d. cloth plain, y. cloth gilt.
VERY YOUNG and QUITE ANOTHER STORY : Two Stories.
Crown Svo. 6s.
INGRAM (T. Dunbar).— ENGLAND AND ROME : a History of the
Relations between the Papacy and the English State and Church from the
Norman Conquest to the Revolution of 1688. Svo. 145.
JAMESON" (Mrs.).— SACRED AND LEGENDARY ART. With 19 Etch-
ings and 187 Woodcuts. 2 vols. Svo. 20.?. net.
LEGENDS OF THE MADONNA, the Virgin Mary as represented in
Sacred and Legendary Art. With 27 Etchings and 165 Woodeuis. Svo. ioj. net.
LEGENDS OF THE MONASTIC ORDERS. With n Etchings and
88 Woodcuts. Svo. T.OS. net.
HISTORY OF OUR LORD. His Types and Precursors. Completed by
LADY EASTLAKE. With 31 Etchings and 281 Woodcuts. 2 vols. Svo. 20
JEFFERIES (Richard).-FIELD AND HEDGEROW. Last Essays.
Crown Svo. y. 6d.
THE STORY OF MY HEART : My Autobiography. Crown Svo. $s. 6V.
RED DEER. With 17 Illustrations by J. CHARLTON and H. TUN AI.V.
Crown Svo. 35. 6d.
JENNINGS (Rev. A. C.).-ECCLESIA ANGLICAN A A History of tbe
Church of Christ, in England. Crown Svo. 7.?. 6r/.
12 A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS IN GENERAL LITERATURE
JOHNSON (J. & J. H.).— THE PATENTEE'S MANUAL; a Treatise on
the Law and Practice of Letters Patent. 8vo. los. 6d.
JORDAN (William Leighton).— THE STANDARD OF VALUE. 8vo.6s.
JUSTINIAN.— THE INSTITUTES OF JUSTINIAN ; Latin Text, with
English Introduction, &c. By THOMAS C. SANDARS. 8vo. i8s.
KALISCH (M. M.).— BIBLE STUDIES. Part I. The Prophecies of
Balaam. 8vo. IQJ. 6d. Part II. The Book of Jonah. 8vo.ioj.6r/.
KALISCH (M. M.).— COMMENTARY ON THE OLD TESTAMENT ; with
a New Translation. Vol. I. 'Genesis, 8vo. iSs., or adapted for the General
Reader, i2s. Vol. II. Exodus, 155., or adapted for the General Reader, izs.
Vol. III. Leviticus, Part I. 15^., or adapted for the General Reader, 8s.
Vol. IV. Leviticus, Part II. 15^-., or adapted for the General Reader, 85.
KANT (Immanuel).— CRITIQUE OF PRACTICAL REASON, AND
OTHER WORKS ON THE THEORY OF ETHICS. 8vo. 12^. 6d.
INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC. Translated by T. K. Abbott. Notes
by S. T. Coleridge. 8vo. dr.
KILLICK (Rev. A. H.).— HANDBOOK TO MILL'S SYSTEM OF
LOGIC. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
KNIGHT (E. F.).— THE CRUISE OF THE ' ALERTE' ; the Narrative of
a Search for Treasure on the Desert Island of Trinidad. With 2 Maps and
23 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
- SAVE ME FROM MY FRIENDS : a Novel. Crown 8vo. 6s.
LADD (George T.).— ELEMENTS OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHO-
LOGY. 8vo. 2is.
OUTLINES OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY. A Text-Book
of Mental Science for Academies and Colleges. 8vo. 125.
LANG (Andrew).— CUSTOM AND MYTH : Studies of Early Usage and
Belief. With 15 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. -js. 6d.
BOOKS AND BOOKMEN. With 2 Coloured Plates and 17 Illustra-
tions. Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d. net.
- LETTERS TO DEAD AUTHORS. Fcp. 8vo. zs. 6d. net.
OLD FRIENDS. Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d. net.
LETTERS ON LITERATURE. Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d. net.
BALLADS OF BOOKS. Edited by ANDREW LANG. Fcp. 8vo. 6s.
THE BLUE FAIRY BOOK. Edited by ANDREW LANG. With 8
Plates and 130 Illustrations in the Text. Crown 8vo. 6s.
THE RED FAIRY BOOK. Edited by ANDREW LANG. With 4 Plates
and 96 Illustrations in the Text. Crown 8vo. 6s.
THE BLUE POETRY BOOK. With 12 Plates and 88 Illustrations in
the Text. Crown 8vo. 6s.
— ANGLING SKETCHES. With Illustrations by W. G. BURN-
MURDOCH. Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
LAVISSE (Ernest).— GENERAL VIEW OF THE POLITICAL HIS
TORY OF EUROPE. Crown 8vo. y-
PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, & CO. 13
LA YARD (Nina F.).— POEMS. Crown 8vo. 6r.
LECKY (W. E. H.).— HISTORY OF ENGLAND IN THE EIGHTEENTH
CENTURY. Library Edition, 8vo. Vols. I. and II. 1700-1760 rfs
Vols. III. and IV. 1760-1784. 36s. Vols. V. and VI. 1784-1793 36^
Vols. VII. and VIII. 1793-1800. 36s. Cabinet Edition, 12 vols. Crown
8vo. 6s. each. [In course of Publication in Monthly Volumes.
THE HISTORY OF EUROPEAN MORALS FROM AUGUSTUS
TO CHARLEMAGNE. 2 vols. Crown 8vo. i6s.
— HISTORY OF THE RISE AND INFLUENCE OF THE SPIRIT
OF RATIONALISM IN EUROPE. 2 vols. Crown 8vo. i6s.
POEMS. Fcap. 8vo. $s.
LEES (J. A.) and CLITTTERBUCK (W. J.).— B.C. 1887, A RAMBLE
IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. With Map and 75 Illusts. Cr. 8vo. 3*. 6d.
LEWES (George Henry).— THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY, from
Thales to Comte. 2 vo s. 8vo. 32^.
LIDDELL (Colonel R. T.).— MEMOIRS OF THE TENTH ROYAL
HUSSARS. With Numerous Illustrations. 2 vols. Imperial 8vo. 6y.
LLOYD (F. J.).— THE SCIENCE OF AGRICULTURE. 8vo. 12 j.
LONGMAN (Frederick W.).— CHESS OPENINGS. Fcp. 8vo. zs. 6d.
- FREDERICK THE GREAT AND THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR.
Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d.
LONGMORE (Sir T.).— RICHARD WISEMAN, Surgeon and Sergeant-
Surgeon to Charles II. A Biographical Study. With Portrait. 8vo. ios. 6d.
LOTJDON (J. C.).— ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GARDENING. With 1000
Woodcuts. 8vo. 2is.
- ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AGRICULTURE; the Laying-out, Improve-
ment, and Management of Landed Property. With uoo Woodcuts. 8vo. 2ij.
- ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PLANTS ; the Specific Character, &c., of all
Plants found in Great Britain. With 12,000 Woodcuts. 8vo. 42^.
LUBBOCK (Sir J.).— THE ORIGIN OF CIVILISATION and the Primitive
Condition of Man. With 5 Plates and 20 Illustrations in the Text. 8vo. iSs.
LYALL (Edna).— THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A SLANDER. Fcp. 8vo.
is. sewed.
LYDE (Lionel W.).— AN INTRODUCTION TO ANCIENT HISTORY.
With 3 Coloured Maps. Crown 8vo. y.
MACAULAY (Lord).— COMPLETE WORKS OF LORD MACAULAY.
Library Edition, 8 vols. 8vo. ,£5 5^. I Cabinet Edition, 16 vols. post 8vo.
I £4 i&.
HISTORY OF ENGLAND FROM THE ACCESSION OF JAMES
THE SECOND.
Popular Edition, 2 vols. Crown 8vo. 55. I People's Edition, 4 vols. Crown 8vo. i6s.
Student's Edition, 2 vols. Crown 8vo. Cabinet Edition, 8 vols. Post 8vo. 485.
I2j. Library Edition, 5 vols. 8vo. ^"4.
CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL ESSAYS, WITH LAYS OF
ANCIENT ROME, in i volume.
Popular Edition, Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. i ' Silver Library ' Edition. With Por-
Authorised Edition, Crown 8vo. zs. trait amllllustrations to the ' Lays'.
6d., or y. 6d. gilt edges. I Crown Bvo. 3*. 6d.
[Continued.
A CATALOGUE OF BOOK'S IN GENERAL LITERATURE
MACAULAY (Lord).— ESSAYS (continued}.
CRITICAL AND HISTORICAL ESSAYS.
Student's Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s. I Trevelyan Edition, avols.CrownSvo.g*.
People's Edition, 2vols. Crown 8vo. 8s. Cabinet Edition, 4 vols. Post 8vo. 24^.
Library Edition, 3 vols. 8vo. 36*.
ESSAYS which may be had separately, price 6d. each sewed, is. each cloth.
Ranke and Gladstone.
Milton and Machiavelli.
Lord Bacon.
Lord dive.
Lord Byron, and the Comic Drama-
tists of the Restoration.
Addison and Walpole.
Frederic the Great.
Croker's Boswell's Johnson.
Hallam's Constitutional History.
Warren Hastings (y/. sewed, 60'. cloth
The Earl of Chatham (Two Essays).
The Essay on Warren Hastings, anno- I The Essay on Lord Clive, annotated by
tated by S. Hales. Fcp. 8vo. u. bd. \ H.Courthope Bowen. Fcp.8vo.2j.6^.
SPEECHES. People's Edition, Crown 8vo. 3^. 6d.
LAYS OF ANCIENT ROME, &c. Illustrated by G. Scharf. Library
Edition. Fcp. 410. los. bd.
Bijou Edition, i8mo. 2s. bd. gilt top. I Popular Edition, Fcp. 410. bd sewed,
I is. cloth.
- Illustrated by J. R. Weguelin. Crown
8vo. y. 6d. gilt edges.
I Annotated Edition, Fcp. 8vo. if. sewed,
Cabinet Edition, Post 8vo. y. bd. t.v. bd. cloth.
MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS.
People's Edition. Crown 8vo. 4^. 6d. \ Library Edition, 2 vols. 8vo. 2t>-.
- MISCELLANK/ )! 'S WRITINGS AND SPEECHES.
Popular Edition. Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. I Cabinet Edition, Post 8vo. 24.?.
Student's Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s.
- SELECTIONS FROM THE WRITINGS OF LORD MACAULAY.
Edited, with Notes, by the Rit;ht Hon. Sir G. O. TRKVELYAN. Crown 8vo. 6s.
THE LIFE AND LETTERS OF LORD MACAULAY. By the Right
Hon. Sir G. O. TKEVELYAN.
Popular Edition. Crown. 8vo. zs. 6d. I Cabinet Edition, 2 vols. Post 8vo. 12*.
Student's Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s. \ Library Edition, 2 vols. 8vo. 36.*.
MACDOWALD (George).— UNSPOKEN SERMONS. Three Series.
Crown 8vo. y. 6d. each.
- THE MIRACLES OF OUR LORD. Crown 8vo. 3.?. 6d.
A BOOK OF STRIFE, IN THE FORM OF THE DIARY OF AN
OLD SOUL : Poems. i2mo. 6s.
MACFARREN (Sir G. A.).— LECTURES ON HARMONY. 8v0. 125.
— ADDRESSES AND LECTURES. Crown 8vo. 6s. bd.
MACKAIL (J. W.).— SELECT EPIGRAMS FROM THE GREEK AN-
THOLOGY. With a Revised Text, Introduction, Translation, &c. 8vo. \6s.
MACLEOD (Henry D.).— THE ELEMENTS OF BANKING. Crown
8vo. y. bd.
THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF BANKING. Vol. I. 8vo. 121..
Vol. II. I4J.
THE THEORY OF CREDIT. 8vo. Vol. I. [New Edition i
Vol. II. Part I. v. bd. ; Vol. II. Part II. IQJ. bd.
PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, &> CO. 15
McCULLOCH (J. R.).— THE DICTIONARY OF COMMERCE and Com-
mercial Navigation. With n Maps and 30 Charts. 8vo. 63*.
MACVINE (John).— SIXTY-THREE YEARS' ANGLING, from the Moun-
tain Streamlet to the Mighty Tay. Crown 8vo. io.r. bet.
MALMESBURY (The Earl of).— MEMOIRS OF AN EX-MINISTER.
Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
MANN BRING (G. E.).— WITH AXE AND ROPE IN THE NEW
ZEALAND ALPS. Illustrated. 8vo. izs. 6d.
MANUALS OF CATHOLIC PHILOSOPHY (Stony hurst Series).
Logic. By Richard F. Clarke. Crown
8vo. $s.
First Principles of Knowledge. By
John Rickaby. Crown 8vo. 5*.
Moral Philosophy (Ethics and Natural
Law). By Joseph Rickaby. Crown
8vo. 5.
General Metaphysics. By John Ricka-
by. Crown 8vo. 5$.
Psychology. By Michael Maher.
Crown 8vo. 6s. 6d.
Natural Theology. By Bernard
Boedder. Crown 8vo. 6s. 6d.
A Manual of Political Economy. ByC.
I S. Devas. 6s. 6d.
MARTINEAU (James).— HOURS OF THOUGHT ON SACRED
THINGS. Two Volumes of Sermons. 2 vols. Crown 8vo. 75. 6d. each.
- ENDEAVOURS AFTER THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. Discourses.
Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
HOME PRAYERS, down 8vo. y. 6d.
- THE SEAT OF AUTHORITY IN RELIGION. 8vo. 145.
ESSAYS, REVIEWS, AND ADDRESSES. 4 vols. Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
each.
I. Personal: Political. I III. Theological: Philosophical.
II. Ecclesiastical : Historical. | IV. Academical : Religious.
MASON (Agnes).— THE STEPS OF THE SUN : Daily Readings of Prose.
i6mo. 3*. 6d.
MATTHEWS (Brander).— A FAM I LY TREE, and other Stories. Crown
8vo. 6.?.
PEN AND INK— Selected Papers. Crown 8vo. 55.
WITH MY FRIENDS : Tales told in Partnership. Crown 8vo. 6j.
MAUNDER'S TREASURIES. Fcp. 8vo. 6s. each volume
Biographical Treasury.
Treasury of Natural History. With
900 Woodcuts.
Treasury of Geography. With 7 Maps
and 16 Plates.
Scientific and Literary Treasury.
Historical Treasury.
Treasury of Knowledge.
The Treasury of Bible Knowledge. By
the Rev. J. AYRE. With 5 Maps,
15 Plates, and 300 Woodcuts. Fcp.
8vo. 6s.
The Treasury of Botany. Edited by
J. LINDLEY and T. MOORE. With
274 Woodcuts and 20 Steel Plates.
2 vols.
MAX MULLER (F.).-SELECTED ESSAYS ON LANGU
MYTHOLOGY, AND RELIGION. 2 vols. Crown 8vo. i6s.
THREE LECTURES ON THE SCIENCE OF LANGUAGE. Cr.
8vo. 3-r.
THE SCIENCE OF LANGUAGE, founded on Lectures delivered at
the Royal Institution in 1861 and 1863. 2 vols. Crown 8vo. 21 j.
HIBBERT LECTURES ON THK ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF
RELIGION, as illustrated by the Religions of India. Crown 8vo. 7.^ 6it.
[Contittved.
16 A CATALOGUE OF BOOK'S IN GENERAL LITERATURE
MAX MtJLLEE, (F.)— INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE OF RE-
LIGION ; FourLectures delivered at the Royal Institution. Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
— NATURAL RELIGION. The Gifford Lectures, delivered before the
University of Glasgow in 1888. Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
- PHYSICAL RELIGION. The Gifford Lectures, delivered before the
University of Glasgow in 1890. Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
ANTHROPOLOGICAL RELIGION : The Gifford Lectures delivered
before the University of Glasgow in 1891. Crown 8vo. ios. 6d.
- THE SCIENCE OF THOUGHT. 8vo. zis.
THREE INTRODUCTORY LECTURES ON THE SCIENCE OF
THOUGHT. 8vo. 2s. 6d.
- BIOGRAPHIES OF WORDS, AND THE HOME OF THE ARYAS.
Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
A SANSKRIT GRAMMAR FOR BEGINNERS. New and Abridged
Edition. By A. A. MACDONELL. Crown 8vo. dr.
MAY (Sir Thomas Erskine).— THE CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY
OF ENGLAND since the Accession of George III. 3 vols. Crown 8vo. 185.
MEADE (L. T.).— THE O'DONNELLS OF INCHFAWN. Crown 8vo. 6s.
DADDY'S BOY. With Illustrations. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
DEB AND THE DUCHESS. Illust. byM. E. Edwards. Cr. 8vo. y. 6d.
- THE BERESFORD PRIZE. Illustrated by M.E. Edwards. Cr. 8vo. 5*.
MEATH (The Earl of).— SOCIAL ARROWS: Reprinted Articles on
various Social Subjects. Crown 8vo. 5^.
PROSPERITY OR PAUPERISM ? Physical, Industrial, and Technical
Training. Edited by the EARL OF MEATH. 8vo. y.
MELVILLE (G. J. Whyte).— Novels by. Crown 8vo. is. each, boards ;
is. 6d. each, cloth.
The Gladiators.
The Interpreter.
Good for Nothing.
The Queen's Maries.
Holmby House.
Kate Coventry.
Digby Grand.
General Bounce.
MENDELSSOHN".— THE LETTERS OF FELIX MENDELSSOHN.
Translated by Lady Wallace. 2 vols. Crown 8vo. ios.
MERIVALE (Rev. Chas.).— HISTORY OF THE ROMANS UNDER
THE EMPIRE. Cabinet Edition, 8 vols. Crown 8vo. 48*. Popular Edition,
8 vols. Crown 8vo. 35. 6d. each.
THE FALL OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC : a Short History of the
Last Century of the Commonwealth. iamo. js. 6d.
GENERAL HISTORY OF ROME FROM B.C. 753 TO A.D. 476
Cr. 8vo. is. 6d.
THE ROMAN TRIUMVIRATES. With Maps. Fcp. 8vo. zs. 6d.
MILES (W. A.).— THE CORRESPONDENCE OF WILLIAM AUGUSTUS
MILES ON THE FRENCH REVOLUTION, 1789-1817. 2 vols. 8vo. 32^.
MILL (James).-ANALYSIS OF THE PHENOMENA OF THE HUMAN
MIND. 2 vols. 8vo. 28 s.
PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, &> CO.
MILL (John Stuart).— PRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL 1
Library Edition, 2 vols. Svo. 3oj. | People's Edition, i vol. Crown Svo. y. G,/.
A SYSTEM OF LOGIC. Crown Svo. y. 6d.
- ON LIBERTY. Crown Svo. is. 4rf.
ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. Crown Svo. -zs.
UTILITARIANISM. Svo. 5s.
- EXAMINATION OF SIR WILLIAM HAMILTON'S PHILO-
SOPHY. Svo. i6j.
- NATURE, THE UTILITY OF RELIGION AND THEISM. Three
Essays, Svo. $s.
MOLESWORTH (Mrs.).— MARRYING AND GIVING IN MARRIAGE :
a Novel. Fcp. Svo. 2s. 6d.
- SILVERTHORNS. With Illustrations by F. Noel Paton. Cr. Svo. 55.
THE PALACE IN THE GARDEN. With Illustrations. Cr. Svo. 5,-.
- THE THIRD MISS ST. QUENTIN. Crown Svo. dr.
NEIGHBOURS. With Illustrations by M. Ellen Edwards. Cr. Svo. 6s.
THE STORY OF A SPRING MORNING. With Illustrations. Cr.8vo.5J.
MOORE (Edward).— DANTE AND HIS EARLY BIOGRAPHERS.
Crown Svo. 45. 6d.
MULHALL (Michael G.).— HI STORY OF PRICES SINCE THE YEAR
1850. Crown Svo. 6s.
NANSEN (Dr. Fridtjof ).— THE FIRST CROSSING OF GREENLAND.
With 5 Maps, 12 Plates, and 150 Illustrations in the Text. 2 vols. Svo. 36^.
NAPIER.— THE LIFE OF SIR JOSEPH NAPIER, HART., EX-LORD
CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND. By ALEX. CIIAKI.KS EWAI.D. 8vo. 155.
THE LECTURES, ESSAYS, AND LETTERS OF THE RIGHT
HON. SIR JOSEPH NAPIER, BART. 8vo. iar. 6d.
NESBIT (E.).— LEAVES OF LIFE : Verses. Crown Svo. y.
NEWMAN".— THE LETTERS AND CORRESPONDENCE OF JOHN
HENRY NEWMAN during his Life in the English Church. With a brief
Autobiographical Memoir. Edited by Anne Mozley. With Portraits, 2 vols.
Svo. 30.?. net.
NEWMAN (Cardinal).— Works by:
Discourses to Mixed Congregations.
Cabinet Edition, Crown Svo. 6s.
Cheap Edition, y. 6d.
Sermons on Various Occasions. Cr.
Svo. 6s.
The Idea of a University defined and
illustrated. Cabinet Edition, Cr. Svo.
js. Cheap Edition, Cr. Svo. 35. 6d.
Historical Sketches. Cabinet Edition,
3 vols. Crown Svo. 6s. each. Cheap
Edition, 3 vols. Cr. 8vo. y. 6d. each.
The Arians of the Fourth Century.
Cabinet Edition, Crown Svo. 6s.
Cheap Edition, Crown Svo. y. 6d.
Select Treatises of St. Athanasius in
Controversy with the Arians. Freely
Translated. 2 vols. Crown Svo.
15.?.
Discussions and Arguments onYarious
Subjects. Cabinet Edition, •
Svo. 6s. Cheap Edition, Crown
Svo. y. 6d.
\Contimted.
i8 A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS IN GENERAL LITERATURE
NEWMAN (Cardinal).— Works by -.—(continued).
Tracts, i. Dissertatiunculae. 2. On
the Text of the Seven Epistles of St.
Ignatius. 3. Doctrinal . Causes of
Arianism. 4. Apollinarianism. 5.
St. Cyril's Formula. 6. Ordo de
Tempore. 7. Douay Version of
Scripture. Crown 8vo. 8s.
An Essay in Aid of a Grammar of
Assent. Cabinet Edition, Crown
8vo. 7*. 6d. Cheap Edition, Crown
8vo. y. 6d.
Callista : a Tale of the Third Century.
Cabinet Edition, Crown 8vo. 6s.
Cheap Edition, Crown 8vo. 3^. 6d.
Loss and Gain: a Tale. Cabinet
Edition, Crown 8vo. 6s. Cheap
Edition, Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
The Dream of Gerontius. i6mo. 6d.
sewed, u. cloth.
Verses on Various Occasions. Cabinet
Edition, Crown 8vo. 6s. Cheap
Edition, Crown 8vo. 3^. 6d.
Apologia Pro Vita Sua. Cabinet Ed. ,
Crown 8vo. 6s. Cheap Ed. y. 6d.
Development of Christian Doctrine.
Cabinet Edition, Crown 8vo. 6s.
Cheap Edition, Cr. 8vo. y. 6d.
Certain Difficulties felt by Anglicans
in Catholic Teaching Considered.
Cabinet Edition. Vol. I. Crown 8vo.
js. 6d. ; Vol. II. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
Cheap Edition, 2 vols. Crown 8vo.
y. 6d. each.
The Via Media of the Anglican Church,
Illustrated in Lectures, &c. Cabinet
Edition, 2 vols. Cr. 8vo. 6s. each.
Cheap Edition, 2 vols. Crown 8vo.
y. 6d. each.
Essays, Critical and Historical. Cabi-
net Edition, 2 vols. Crown 8vo. 125.
Cheap Edition, 2 vols. Cr. Svo. js.
Biblical and Ecclesiastical Miracles.
Cabinet Edition, Crown Svo. 6s.
Cheap Edition, Crown Svo. 35. 6d.
Present Position of Catholics in Eng-
land. Cabinet Edition, Crown Svo.
js. 6d. Cheap Edition, Crown Svo.
y. 6d.
%* For Cardinal Newman's other Works see Messrs. Longman.'; & Co.'s
Catalogue of Theological Works.
NORTON (Charles L.).— POLITICAL AMERICANISMS : a Glossary of
Terms and Phrases Current in American Politics. Crown Svo. 2s. 6d.
A HANDBOOK OF FLORIDA. 49 Maps and Plans. Fcp. Svo. y.
NORTHCOTE (W. H.).— LATHES AND TURNING, Simple, Me-
chanical, and Ornamental. With 338 Illustrations. Svo. iQs.
O'BRIEN (William).— WHEN WE WERE BOYS: A Novel. Cr. 8vo.
as. 6d.
OLIPHANT (Mrs.).— MADAM. Crown Svo. is. boards ; TJ. 6d. cloth.
IN TRUST. Crown Svo. is. boards ; is. 6d. cloth.
OMAN (C. W. C.).— A HISTORY OF GREECE FROM THE EARLIEST
TIMES TO THE MACEDONIAN CONQUEST. WithMaps. Cr.Svo.4*. 6d.
O'REILIiY (Mrs.).— HURSTLEIGH DENE : a Tale. Crown Svo. $s.
PAUL (Hermann).— PRINCIPLES OF THE HISTORY OF LANGUAGE.
Translated by H. A. Strong. 8vo. los. 6d.
PAYN (James).— THE LUCK OF THE DARRELLS. Cr. Svo. is. bds. ;
is. 6d. cl.
THICKER THAN WATER. Crown Svo. u. boards ; is. 6d. cloth.
PERRING (Sir Philip).-HARD KNOTS IN SHAKESPEARE. 8vo.7j.6rf.
THE ' WORKS AND DAYS 1 OF MOSES. Crown Svo. y. 6d.
PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, &> CO.
PHILLIPPS-WOLLEY (C.).— SNAP : a Legend of the Lone Mountain
With 13 Illustrations by H. G. Willink. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
POLE (W.).— THE THEORY OF THE MODERN SCIENTIFIC GAMF
OF WHIST. Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d.
POLLOCK (W. H. and Lady).— THE SEAL OF FATE. Cr. 8vo. 6s.
POOLE (W. H. and Mrs.).— COOKERY FOR THE DIABETIC. Fcp.
8vo. 2s. 6d.
PRAEGER (F.).— WAGNER AS I KNEW HIM. Crown 8vo. 7s. 6d.
PRENDERGAST (JohnP.).— IRELAND, FROM THE RESTORATION
TO THE REVOLUTION, 1660-1690. 8vo. y.
PROCTOR (R.A.).-Works by :-
Old and New Astronomy. 12 Parts,
2s. 6d. each. Supplementary Sec-
tion, is. Complete in i vol. 410. 36$.
[In course of publication.
The Orbs Around Us. Crown 8vo. y.
Other Worlds than Ours. With 14
Illustrations. Crown 8vo. y.
The Moon. Crown 8vo. y.
Universe of Stars. 8vo. TOJ. 6d.
Larger Star Atlas for the Library, in
12 Circular Maps, with Introduction
and 2 Index Pages. Folio, ly. or
Maps only, I2S. 6d.
The Student's Atlas. In 12 Circular
Maps. 8vo. 5_y.
New Star Atlas. In 12 Circular Maps.
Crown 8vo. y.
Light Science for Leisure Hours.
3 vols. Crown 8vo. y. each.
Chance and Luck. Crown 8vo. 2s.
boards ; 2s. 6d. cloth.
Pleasant Ways in Science. Cr. 8vo. y.
How to Play Whist : with the Lawsand
Etiquette of Whist. Crown 8vo. 3^.6^.
Home Whist : an Easy Guide to
Correct Play. i6mo. is.
The Stars in their Season. 12 Maps.
Royal 8vo. y.
Star Primer. Showing the Starry Sky
Week by Week, in 24 Hourly Maps'.
Crown 410. 2s. 6d.
The Seasons Pictured in 48 Sun-Yiews
of the Earth, and 24 Zodiacal Maps,
&c. Demy 410. y.
Strength and Happiness. With 9
Illustrations. Crown 8vo. y.
Strength: How to get Strong and
keep Strong. Crown 8vo. 2s.
Rough Ways Made Smooth. Essays on
Scientific Subjects. Crown 8vo. y.
Our Place among Infinities. Cr. 8vo. y.
The Expanse of Heaven. Cr. 8vo. 5^.
The Great Pyramid. Crown 8vo. y.
Myths and Marvels of Astronomy
Crown 8vo. y.
Nature Studies. By Grant Allen, A.
Wilson, T. Foster, E. Clodd, and
R. A. Proctor. Crown 8vo. y.
Leisure Readings. By E. Clodd, A.
Wilson, T. Foster, A. C. Rany;ird,
and R. A. Proctor. Crown 8vo. 5^.
PRYCE (John).— THE ANCIENT BRITISH CHURCH : an Historical
Essay. Crown 8vo. 6s.
RANSOME (Cyril).— THE RISE OF CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERN-
MENT IN ENGLAND : being a Series of Twenty Lecttin -.-;. ( You n 8vo. 6s.
RAWLIWSOW (Canon G.).— THE HISTORY OF 1'IKIMCIA.. 8vo. 24^.
REPLY (A) TO DR. LIGHTFOOT'S ESSAYS. By the Author of ' Super-
natural Religion '. 8vo. 6s.
RIBOT (Th.).— THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ATTENTION. Crown 8vo. y.
RICH (A.).— A DICTIONARY OF ROMAN ANDGRKI-:K ANTIQUE IES.
With 2000 Woodcuts. Crown 8vo. js. 6d.
20 A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS IN GENERAL LITERATURE
RICHARDSON (Dr. B. W.).— NATIONAL HEALTH. A Review of
the Works of Sir Edwin Chadwick, K.C. B. Crown 4*. 6d.
RIVERS (T. and T. P.).— THE MINIATURE FRUIT GARDEN ; or,
The Culture of Pyramidal and Bush Fruit Trees. With 32 Illustrations.
Crown 8vo. 45.
RIVERS (T.).— THE ROSE AMATEUR'S GUIDE. Fcp. 8vo. 4*. 6<t.
ROBERTS (Alexander).— GREEK THE LANGUAGE OF CHRIST
AND HIS APOSTLES. 8vo. i8s.
ROCKHILL (W. W.).— THE LAND OF THE LAMAS: Notes of a
Journey through China, Mongolia, and Tibet. With Maps and Illustrations.
8vo. 15^.
ROGET (John Lewis).— A HISTORY OF THE 'OLD WATER
COLOUR ' SOCIETY, a vols. Royal 8vo. 42*.
ROGET (Peter M.).— THESAURUS OF ENGLISH WORDS AND
PHRASES. Crown 8vo. 105. 6d.
RONALDS (Alfred).— THE FLY-FISHER'S ETYMOLOGY. With 20
Coloured Plates. 8vo. 145.
ROSSETTI (Maria Francesca).— A SHADOW OF DANTE : being an
Essay towards studying Himself, his World, and his Pilgrimage. Cr.Svo. ios.6d.
RUSSELL.— A LIFE OF LORD JOHN RUSSELL. By SPENCER WALPOLE.
2 vols. 8vo. 36^. Cabinet Edition, 2 vols. Crown 8vo. izs.
SEEBOHM (Frederick). — THE OXFORD REFORMERS — JOHN
COLET, ERASMUS, AND THOMAS MORE. 8vo. 14*.
THE ENGLISH VILLAGE COMMUNITY Examined in its Re-
lations to the Manorial and Tribal Systems, &c. 13 Maps and Plates. 8vo. i6s.
THE ERA OF THE PROTESTANT REVOLUTION. With Map.
Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d.
SEWELL (Elizabeth M.).— STORIES AND TALES. Crown 8vo. is. 6d
each, cloth plain ; zs. 6d. each, cloth extra, gilt edges :—
Amy Herbert.
The Earl's Daughter.
The Experience of Life.
A Glimpse of the World.
Cleve Hall.
Katharine Ashton. Gertrude.
Margaret Percival. Ivors.
Laneton Parsonage. Home Life.
Ursula. After Life.
SHAKESPEARE.— BOWDLER'S FAMILY SHAKESPEARE, i vol. 8vo.
With 36 Woodcuts, 145., or in 6 vols. Fcp. 8vo. 2is.
• OUTLINES OF THE LIFE OF SHAKESPEARE. By J. O.
HALLIWELL-PHILLIPPS. With Illustrations. 2 vols. Royal 8vo £i is.
SHAKESPEARE'S TRUE LIFE. By JAMES WALTER. With 500
Illustrations. Imp. 8vo. 2is.
THE SHAKESPEARE BIRTHDAY BOOK. By MARY F. DUNBAR.
32mo. is. 6d. cloth. With Photographs, 32010. 5*. Drawing -Room Edition,
with Photographs, Fcp. 8vo. IQS. 6d.
SHORT (T. V.).— SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF
ENGLAND to the Revolution of 1688. Crown 8vo. 75. 6d.
PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, 6* CO. 21
SILVER LIBRARY, The.— Crown 8vo. price 35. 6ct. each volume.
MERIYALE'S (Dean) History of tho
Romans under the Empire. 8 vols.
BAKER'S (Sir S. W.) Eight Years in
Ceylon. With 6 Illustrations.
— Rifle and Hound in Ceylon.
With 6 Illustrations.
BARING-GOULD'S (S.) Curious Myths
of the Middle Ages.
BRASSEY'S (Lady) A Voyage in the
' Sunbeam '. With 66 Illustrations.
CLODD'S (E.) Story of Creation : a
Plain Account of Evolution. With
77 Illustrations.
DOYLE'S (A. Conan) Micah Clarke : a
Tale of Monmouth's Rebellion.
FROUDE'S (J. A.) Short Studies on
Great Subjects. 4 vols.
Caesar : a Sketch.
Thomas Carlyle : a History
of his Life. 1795-1835. 2 vols.
1834-1881. 2 vols.
The Two Chiefs of Dunboy :
an Irish Romance of the Last
Century.
GLEIG'S (ReY. G. R.) Life of the Duke
of Wellington. With Portrait.
HAGGARD'S (H. R.) She : A History of
Adventure. 32 Illustrations.
Allan Quatermain. With
20 Illustrations.
Colonel Quaritch, Y.C. : a
Tale of Country Life.
Cleopatra. With 29 Full-
page Illustrations.
Beatrice.
HOWITT'S (W.) Visits to Remarkable
Places. 80 Illustrations.
JEFFERIES' (R.) The Story of My
Heart. With Portrait.
Field and Hedgerow. Last
Essays of. With Portrait.
Red Deer. With 17 Illust.
KNIGHT'S (E. F.) Cruise of the
•Alerte,' a Search for Treasure.
With 2 Maps and 23 Illustrations.
LEES (J. A.) and CLUTTERBUCK'S
(W. J.) B.C. 1887. British Columbia.
75 Illustrations.
MACAULAY'S (Lord) Essays— Lays of
Ancient Rome. In i vol. With
Portrait and Illustrations to the
' Lays '.
MACLEOD'S (H. D.) The Elements of
Banking.
MARSHMAN'S (J. C.) Memoirs of Sir
Henry Havelock.
MILL'S (J. S.) Principles of Political
Economy.
- System of Logic.
NEWMAN'S (Cardinal) Historical
Sketches. 3 vols.
— Apologia Pro Vita Sua.
-- Callista : a Tale of the Third
Century.
— Loss and Gain : a Tale.
Essays, Critical and His-
torical. 2 vols.
An Essay on the Develop-
ment of Christian Doctrine.
— The Arians of the Fourth
Century.
— Verses on Various Occa-
sions.
Difficulties felt by Anglicans
in Catholic Teaching Considered.
2 VOlS.
The Idea of a University
defined and Illustrated.
Biblical and Ecclesiastical
Miracles.
Discussions and Arguments
on Various Subjects.
Grammar of Assent.
The Via Media of the An-
glican Church. 2 vols.
Parochial and Plain Ser-
mons. 8 vols.
Selection from ' Parochial
and Plain Sermons'.
--- Discourses Addressed
to
Mixed Congregations.
— Present Position of Ca-
tholics in England.
— Sermons bearing upon Sub-
jects of the Day.
PHILLIPPS-WOLLEY'S (C.) Snap: a
Legend of the Lone Mountains. 13
Illustrations.
STANLEY'S (Bishop) Familiar History
of Birds. With 160 Illustrations.
WOOD'S (Rev. J. G.) Petland Re-
visited. With 33 Illustrations.
— Strange Dwellings. With 60
Illustrations.
Out of DOOM. With ii Illus-
trations.
22 A CATALOGUE OF BOOA'S AV GENERAL LITERATU,
SMITH (R. Bosworth).— CARTHAGE AND THE CARTHAGE
Maps, Plans, £c. Crown Svo. 6s.
STANLEY (E.).— A FAMILIAR HISTORY OF BIRDS. With i(
cuts. Crown Svo. y. 6d.
STEPHEN (Sir James). — ESSAYS IN ECCLESIASTICS
GRAPHY. Crown Svo. 7s. 6d.
STEPHENS (H. Morse).— A HISTORY OF THE FRENCH R
TION. 3 vols. Svo. Vol. I. iSs. Vol. II. i8s. {Vol. III. in
STEVENSON (Robt. Louis).— A CHILD'S GARDEN OF ^
Small Fcp. Svo. y.
THE DYNAMITKR. Fcp. Svo. is. sewed, is. 6<t. cloth.
- STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE.
is. sewed, is. 6d. cloth.
STEVENSON (Robert Louis) and OSBOURNE (Lloyd
WRONG BOX. Crown Svo. 5*.
STOCK (St. George).— DEDUCTIVE LOGIC. Fcp. Svo. y. 6d.
STRONG (Herbert A.), LOGEMAN(WillemS.) and WHI
(B. I.).— INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF THE HIST
LANGUAGE. Svo. IQS. 6d.
STUTFIELD (H.).-THE BRETHREN OF MOUNT ATLAS
First Part of an African Theosophical Story. Crown Svo. 6s.
SULLY (James).— THE HUMAN MIND: a Text- Book of IV
2 VOls. 8VO. 2IS.
OUTLINES OF PSYCHOLOGY. With Special Referem
Theory of Education. Svo. i2s. 6d.
THE TEACHER'S HANDBOOK OF PSYCHOLOGY,
Basis of ' Outlines of Psychology '. Crown Svo. 6s. 6d.
SUPERNATURAL RELIGION; an Inquiry into the Reality of Divin
tion. 3 vols. Svo. 36^.
SYMES (J. E.).— PRELUDE TO MODERN HISTORY: bein^
Sketch of the World's History from the Third to the Ninth Century.
Maps. Crown Svo. 2S. 6d.
TAYLOR (Colonel Meadows).— A STUDENT'S MANUAL (
HISTORY OF INDIA, from the Earliest Period to the Present Time.
Svo. js. 6d.
THOMPSON (D. Greenleaf).— THE PROBLEM OF EVIL:
duction to the Practical Sciences. Svo. IQS. 6d.
A SYSTEM OF PSYCHOLOGY. 2 vols. Svo. 36*.
THE RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS OF THE HUMAN MIN
is. 6d.
SOCIAL PROGRESS : an Essay. Svo. js. 6d.
THE PHILOSOPHY OF FICTION IN LITERATURE : a
Crown Svo. 6s.
PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. LONGMANS, GREEN, 6» CO. 23
NTHREE IN NORWAY. By Two of THEM. With a Map and 59 Illustrations.
Crown 8vo. 2s. boards ; 2s. 6d. cloth.
)0TOY]SrBEE (Arnold).— LECTURES ON THE INDUSTRIAL REVO-
LUTION OF THE i8th CENTURY IN ENGLAND. 8vo. IQJ. 6d.
TREVELYAW (Sir G. O., Bart.).— THE LIFE AND LETTERS OF
1( LORD MACAU LAY.
Popular Edition. Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. I Cabinet Edition, 2 vols. Cr. 8vo. i2s.
Student's Edition. Crown 8vo. 6s. \ Library Edition, 2 vols. 8vo. 36.?.
£ THE EARLY HISTORY OF CHARLES JAMES FOX. Library
Edition, 8vo. i8s. Cabinet Edition, Crown 8vo. 6s.
^TROLLOPE (Anthony).— THE WARDEN. Cr. 8vo. is. bds., is. 6d. cl.
- BARCHESTER TOWERS. Crown 8vo. is. boards* u. 6d. cloth.
'cVILLE (G-.).— THE PERPLEXED FARMER: How is he to meet Alien
Competition ? Crown 8vo. 55.
j VIRGIL.— PUBLT VERGILI MARON1S BUCOLTCA, GEORGICA,
.IvN'EIS; the Works of VIRGIL, Latin Text, with English Commentary and
Index. By B. H. KENNEDY. Crown 8vo. LOS. 6d.
- THE ^ENEID OF VIRGIL. Translated into English Verse. By
John Conington. Crown 8vo. 6s.
- THE POEMS OF VIRGIL. Translated into English Prose. By
I John Conington. Crown 8vo. 6s.
- THE ECLOGUES AND GEORGICS OF VIRGIL. Translated from ,
the Latin by J. W. Mackail. Printed on Dutch Hand-made Paper. 161110. $s.
WAKEMA3ST (H. O.) and HASSALL (A.).— ESSAYS INTRODUC-
TORY TO THE STUDY OF ENGLISH CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY.
v Edited by H. O. WAKEMAN and A. HASSALL. Crown 8vo. 6s.
WALKER (A. Campbell-).— THE CORRECT CARD ; or, How to Play
at Whist ; a Whist Catechism. Fcp. 8vo. 2s. 6d.
WALPOLE (Spencer).— HISTORY OF ENGLAND FROM THE CON-
CLUSION OF THE GREAT WAR IN 1815 to 1858. Library Edition. 5
vols. 8vo. j£4 los. Cabinet Edition. 6 vols. Crown Bvo. 6s. each.
WELLINGTON.— LIFE OF THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. By the
Rev. G. R. GLEIG. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
WENDT (Ernest Emil).— PAPERS ON MARITIME LEGISLATION,
with a Translation of the German Mercantile Laws relating to Maritime Com-
merce. Royal 8vo. £1 us. 6d.
WEYMAN" (Stanley J.).— THE HOUSE OF THE WOLF : a Romance.
Crown 8vo. 6s.
WHATELY (E. Jane).— LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF ARCH-
BISHOP WHATELY. With Portrait. Crown 8vo. los. 6d.
WHATELY (Archbishop).— ELEMENTS OF LOGIC. Cr. 8vo. 43. 6,r.
ELEMENTS OF RHETORIC. Crown 8vo. 4.*. 6d.
— LESSONS ON REASONING. Fcp. 8vo. is. 6d.
BACON'S ESSAYS, with Annotations. 8vo. 105. 6d.
WILCOCKS (J. C.).— THE SKA FISHERMAN. Comprising the Chief
Methods of Hook and Line Fishing in the British and other Seas, and Remarks
on Nets, Boats, and Boating. Profusely Illustrated. Crown 8vo. 6s.
24 BOOKS PUBLISHED BY MESSXS. LONGMANS, GREEN, & C
WIKLICH (Charles M.).— POPULAR TABLES for giving Inform?
for ascertaining the value of Lifehold, Leasehold, and Church Property
Public Funds, &c. Edited by H. BENCE JONES. Crown 8vo. IDS. 6d.
WILLOUGHBY (Captain Sir John C.).— EAST AFRICA AND
BIG GAME. Illustrated by G. D. Giles and Mrs. Gordon Hake. Royal 8vo.
WITT (Prof.)— "Works by. Translated by Frances Younghusband.
- THE TROJAN WAR. Crown 8vo. 2s.
- MYTHS OF HELLAS; or, Greek Tales. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
- THE WANDERINGS OF ULYSSES. Crown 8vo. 3*. 6d.
THE RETREAT OF THE TEN THOUSAND ; being the Stoi
Xenophon's ' Anabasis '. With Illustrations. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
WOLFF (Henry W.).— RAMBLES IN THE BLACK FOREST. Ci
8vo. ?s. 6d.
THE WATERING PLACES OF THE VOSGES. With Map. Q
8vo. 45. 6d.
— THE COUNTRY OF THE VOSGES. With a Map. 8vo. I2j.
WOOD (Rev. J. G-.).— HOMES WITHOUT HANDS ; a Description o
• Habitations of Animals. With 140 Illustrations. 8vo. js. net.
- INSECTS AT HOME; a Popular Account of British Insects,
Structure, Habits, and Transformations. With 700 Illustrations. 8vo. js.
INSECTS ABROAD ; a Popular Account of Foreign Insects,
Structure, Habits, and transformations. With 600 Illustrations. 8vo. js.
— I U I'.LE ANIMALS ; a Description of every Living Creature menti
in the Scriptures. With 112 Illustrations. 8vo. 'js. net.
STRANGE DWELLINGS; abridged from ' Homes without Hai
With 60 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
— OUT OF DOORS ; a Selection of Original Articles on Practical Na
History. With n Illustrations. Crown 8vo. y. 6d.
PETLAND REVISITED. With 33 Illustrations. Crown 8vo. y
WORDSWORTH (Bishop Charles).— ANNALS OF MY EA
LIFE, 1806-1846. 8vo. 155.
WYLIE (J. H.).— HISTORY OF ENGLAND UNDER HENRY '.
FOURTH. Crown 8vo. Vol. I. IOT. 6(t. ; Vol. II.
ZELLER (Dr. E.).— HISTORY OF ECLECTICISM IN GREEK PHi
SOPHY. Translated by Sarah F. Alley ne. Crown 8vo. icw. 6d.
THE STOICS, EPICUREANS, AND SCEPTICS. Translate*
the Rev. O. J. Reichel. Crown 8vo. 15*.
SOCRATES AND THE SOCRATIC SCHOOLS. Translated b
Rev. O. J. Reichel. Crown 8vo. los. 6d.
PLATO AND THE OLDER ACADEMY. Translated by Sara
Alleyne and Alfred Goodwin. Crown 8vo. 185.
' THE PRE-SOCRATIC SCHOOLS. Translated by Sarah F. All.
2 vols. Crown 8vo. 30?.
OUTLINES OF THE HISTORY OF GREEK PHILOSOI
Translated by Sarah F. Alleyne and Evelyn Abbott. Crown 8vo. los. 6t
50,000 — 2/92. ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY 1'KK.sS. J^ ^
PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO LIBRARY
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11